Ogun state government on Thursday paid a total sum of N200 million grant for Basic Health Care Provision Fund of pregnant women, under-5 children and indigents across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

Abiodun disclosed this at the launching of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and commencement of the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, the state capital.

The governor, who said that the state had taken advantage of the health scheme by considering the pregnant women and the vulnerable, said that they would now have access to affordable and sustainable health care delivery system.

He said that the formal launch of BHCPF would provide basic health care services for the vulnerable and the indigents that had been registered by the state Health Insurance Agency which would attract no cost.

Abiodun noted that the formal take-off of the health insurance scheme was another step towards capturing the all-important sector in the social health safety in order to improved the wellbeing and welfare of the people.

He said “The BHCPF is a social health intervention fund that is targeted at providing basic health care services to the vulnerable crop of people – such as pregnant women and children under-5, as well as the indigent people in the society.”

“Let me assure that with the formal launch of BHCPF, the basic health care services will be provided to these categories of people that have been registered by the Ogun state Health Insurance Agency at no cost.

“Our administration will continue to ensure that affordable and sustainable health care delivery system is provided in Ogun state, it is also imperative that we make it easily accessible to all our people.

“It is for this reason that we are gathered here today to launch the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as an effective gateway to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the formal take-off of Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme towards improving the wellbeing, wellness and welfare of the people of Ogun state.” he added

He expressed hope that the scheme would serve as a cushion against any financial burden as occasioned by high out-of-pocket expenses on health care services, while appreciating the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people.

The governor divulged that the launching of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme, would further deepen the positive impacts of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in Ogun.

He added that his administration would continue to collaborate with FG in all sectors, to improve on the policy formulation and programme implementation to sustain the Public-Private Partnership strategy.

The Speaker, Ogun state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Olakunle Oluomo while appreciating the present administration for the initiative, said the House would pass a Bill to criminalise diversion of the scheme’s fund.

He advised the agencies of the scheme to allow their representatives to liaise with members of the public to sell the scheme, encouraging political office holders to embrace the scheme by paying for some of their constituents.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker stated that the state Health Insurance Agency has accredited 236 primary health care facilities using the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) guidelines, while funds have been disbursed into the state Treasury Single Account (TSA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

She added that a total of number of 26,440 beneficiaries have also been enrolled onto the programme across the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ogun state.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Nasir Sambo, disclosed that the federal government had disbursed over N28.7bn to states and the Federal Capital Territory to fulfill the requirements of accessing the funds.