The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria has lamented that only one percent of enrollees in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) have benefited from the fund.
Speaking with journalists in Benin, Prof. Akoria, explained that the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA) and the Edo Health Insurance, of the three BHCPF gateways to which the Federal Government commits up to one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, alongside state counterpart funding are currently functional in the State.
She charged eligible residents to take advantage of the funding aimed at ensuring the provision of quality basic health care services and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare.
She said the State Health Insurance Commission has extended enrolment to residents in Edo Central and Edo North senatorial zones, adding that from over 2000 enrollees, it now had 29,211 enrollees State-wide as of June 30, 2021.
“We have taken the pains to reach thousands of enrollees by calling them directly and we found that majority of enrollees who ought to be benefitting from the healthcare funding are not.
“Currently, 142 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the State have received capitation to provide free healthcare services to the poor and other vulnerable residents.”
She said to ensure that the funding is efficiently and effectively utilized, they have also constituted the State Oversight Committee to work closely with the EDSPHCDA and EDHIC.
