Ondo health insurance scheme records 22,000 deliveries in seven years, covers 82,000 vulnerable residents
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Ondo State Contributory Health Commission (ODCHC) has facilitated more than 22,000 successful deliveries in the last seven years.
This includes 525 sets of twins, 22 sets of triplets and two sets of quadruplets, in a major boost to maternal healthcare delivery and access to affordable medical services across the state.
The achievement highlights the growing impact of the state’s contributory health insurance scheme in reducing financial barriers to healthcare, improving maternal and child health outcomes and ensuring that more residents, particularly vulnerable groups, have access to quality medical services.
The Director-General of the Commission, Dr Abiodun Oyeneyin, disclosed this while featuring on a radio programme, Ondo Path to Progress, sponsored by the State Ministry of Information and Orientation.
Oyeneyin said the commission had recorded significant progress in expanding health insurance coverage, protecting vulnerable residents and strengthening healthcare delivery through the scheme.
He revealed that more than 100,000 public sector workers in the state had benefited from the programme, explaining that the state government bears 60 per cent of their health insurance contributions, while workers contribute the remaining 40 per cent, equivalent to 1.2 per cent of their take-home pay.
According to him, the commission has also extended healthcare coverage to pensioners, with more than 5,000 retirees already enrolled and accessing medical services under the scheme.
He explained that the initiative was designed to shield pensioners from the financial burden associated with accessing healthcare, particularly in their retirement years.
The ODCHC boss further disclosed that the scheme had been expanded to cover residents in the informal sector, including traders, artisans, farmers, transport workers, private sector employees, retirees and other self-employed individuals.
He said individuals below the age of 60 pay N18,000 annually, while those aged 60 and above pay N36,000 per year.
He added that a family health insurance package covering a husband, wife and up to four biological children below the age of 18 costs N90,000 annually.
Oyeneyin noted that the scheme also covered major medical procedures, including surgeries costing as much as N3 million for an individual retiree, demonstrating the commission’s commitment to ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent enrollees from receiving essential medical attention.
He, however, urged other eligible pensioners to take advantage of the programme by enrolling through the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) Secretariat or their respective local pension coordinators.
On the scope of healthcare services available to enrollees, the Director-General said beneficiaries could access medical and surgical services, as well as optical and dental care, through more than 84 accredited public and private hospitals spread across the state’s 18 local government areas.
He emphasised that beneficiaries were not required to make payments at the point of receiving covered healthcare services, describing the arrangement as part of efforts to eliminate out-of-pocket expenditure and improve access to medical care.
Beyond public workers and pensioners, Oyeneyin said the commission had extended healthcare support to more than 82,000 poor and vulnerable residents across the 203 political wards in the state.
He listed the beneficiaries to include widows, persons living with disabilities, elderly people, pregnant women, children under five and people living with sickle cell disease.
According to him, the initiative reflects the commission’s determination to ensure that residents are not excluded from essential healthcare services because of their economic circumstances.
He commended Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for his sustained support for the state’s Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, noting that the administration’s commitment had been instrumental in expanding healthcare coverage and improving the well-being of residents.
Oyeneyin said the commission would continue to strengthen the scheme to ensure that more people across the state benefit from affordable, accessible and quality healthcare services, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
He maintained that expanding health insurance coverage remained critical to building a healthier population and achieving equitable healthcare delivery across Ondo State.
