Earlier this month, we made a news report about a proposed free health insurance initiative made by the Ogun state Governor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, to help reduce the effects of the current economic climate on the Ogun State Residents.
Well, congratulations are in order for the residents of Ogun State as the health insurance initiative has been flagged off begining with several surgical operations being carried out on patients at the state hospitals in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, and Ilaro.
According to the reports getting to NewsVeo the free health insurance program has been flagged off with major and minor surgical operations for those who have registered as beneficiaries.
Speaking about the free health programme, Special Adviser to the Governor on health, Dr Rotimi Ogungbe, after witnessing the first surgery performed under this free health programme stated that the program which was started to help people with medical challenges that requires surgery will include “include, preoperative, operative, and post-operative” services.
Dr Rotimi Ogungbe also said “I have gone round and I have seen the people who have been operated on. What the governor has done is unprecedented in the history of this state.
“The free surgery programme covers all operations including orthopaedics, we are doing gynaecological operations, obstetrics, and others.”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on health also made it known that everyone who has shown interest in the program and has registered as a beneficiary to the free surgery will be given an Ogun State Health Insurance Agency card which will be fully paid for by Governor Abiodun.
Talking about this he said “The OGSHIA programme has been on for some time now. What it simply means is that for a card of N1,000 per month or N12,000 per year, you are entitled to about 200 ailments captured under the insurance scheme.
“Once you are above 18, you can pay. But, for a family of six, we capture them under that scheme of N12,000 per year. That is different from what we are doing now. We are just using this to bring more people into the insurance scheme because everyone registered here will be given a card which will entitle them to visit the hospital for the next year. It’s been paid for by Governor Dapo Abiodun.”
