A’Ibom govt to start health insurance scheme

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced the commencement of the state health insurance scheme within a month, and the establishment of a Renal Treatment Centre.

Speaking on Tuesday in Uyo during a visit by the Management of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Governor Umo Eno decried the rising cases of cancer and renal problems, saying the centre would checkmate the rise.

Eno who said the government was committed to improving the healthcare sector in the state, called on private and donor agencies to collaborate with the government in building model healthcare centres across the state.

He said the government was working towards the commencement of the Akwa Ibom State Teaching Hospital to reduce the traffic of patients to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), the only tertiary healthcare institution in Uyo, the state capital.

“On Health Insurance I believe we have gone far; we trust that in the next one month, we will kick start the health insurance scheme in the state.

“The ARISE Agenda is focused on Primary Healthcare and as you know secondary healthcare was really taken care of in the last administration but there was a disconnect because a lot of people don’t have access to the healthcare facilities in the rural communities so when you talk about the hospital being a general hospital in Uyo that shows that there’s a gap.

“We are driving the primary healthcare and believe that by the time we leave office, we should be able to at least have a Model Primary Healthcare Center in every Local Government and Company in our communities and Donor Agencies can adopt this model for us.

“The State is preparing to establish its Teaching Hospital and we are working very hard to see if we can give you respite by having two Teaching Hospitals in the State.

“The beauty of it is that it will complement the services of UUTH and since Doctors are not many, you will be the ones to consult for us and we will always come calling for your assistance to help us.

“On the issue of renal failure, we are working towards that and coincidentally just this morning I went on inspection of the site and we are trying to open a Medical Corridor along the Ibom Specialist Hospital axis.

“We are working hard and we have identified the site and we are trusting God that we will be able to get it started. I have been promised that within one year if the funds are available the centre will be operational,” he stated.

The governor called on medical experts to sensitize the public on the rise of renal diseases and cancer and measures to checkmate and reverse the trend.

While speaking, Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, said the hospital will willingly partner with the government in its ARISE agenda.

Bassey said since the establishment of UUTH as a specialist hospital in 1996, it has grown to become a training ground for high-level medical manpower in the rank of Resident Doctors, House Officers and Medical Interns, saying it has added two HND awarding institutions and is on the verge of establishing a College of Nursing Science to address manpower needs.

He mentioned the challenges of the hospital including shortage of infrastructure, power generation, inadequate manpower, and poor funding among others.

He however stated that despite the setbacks, UUTH has recorded tremendous strides in the construction and renovation of new buildings, services delivery, and the setting up of the Accident and Emergency Unit.

He proposed the commencement of Hip and Knee replacement surgeries, In-vitro Fertilization treatment as well as renal transplant services and urged the government to assist the hospital by persuading ExxonMobil to complete the abandoned trauma centre, set up an endowment fund for emergency treatment of indigenes at the Accident and Emergency Unit, especially within the first twenty-four hours of admission.