Ondo to enrol 18,000 for vulnerable population programme

By Kemi Olatunde
Enrollment of additional 18000 vulnerable into the vulnerable population programme will soon commence in Ondo State.
The enrollment will be carried out by the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission (ODCHC)in partnership with one of the state partners, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) under its vulnerable population programme.
Speaking at the planning meeting for phase three enrollment of CHAI vulnerable population programme which was organized by ODCHC and the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA) in Akure on Tuesday, Director-General, ODCHC, Dr. Abiodun Oyeneyin reiterated Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to the well being of residents of the state.
“We have done the first enrollment, the second enrollment, currently we have 12,000 enrolled. Now we are adding additional 18,000 to it. At the end of the day, we have 30,000 pregnant women and children under five across nine Local Government Areas of the state that will be enrolled, and they will not pay a dime for all the covered services.
“We are having a training meeting on how we’ll go about the enrollment to ensure that it’s going to be a seamless process”.
Describing Ondo State as one of those with the fastest growing health insurance in Nigeria, he commended CHAI for bringing improvement to the state health sector adding that the commission is set to absorb the enrolled vulnerable at the expiration of the programme in November 2025 into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Programme (BHCPFP) saying “nobody will be left out.”
Oyeneyin urged the participants to step up their game and ensure that the aim and objectives of the program is achieved.
In her goodwill message, Director, planning, Research and Statistics, OSPHCDA, Dr Yetunde Olagbuji lauded health workers’ dedication in providing qualitative services to residents in their various health facilities
The Clinton Health Access Initiatives (CHAI) State Coordinator, Mr Olamide Ayedun Stated that CHAI is taking place in 6 States in Nigeria, stressing that a total of 68 health facilities will cover the programme in the nine LGAs in the State.
Ayedun noted that the organisation is determined to expand health insurance to improve sexual reproductive health outcomes in Nigeria by increasing coverage of state health insurance scheme to formal and informal sectors for gender responsive services for vulnerable proputation
According to him, it aim to improve enabling policy environment for gender responsive SRANCH services for the most vulnerable populations
He explained that the programme would put in place availability of sustainable and predictable Government subsidy mechanisms to cover premiums for the most venerable Increased demand for minimum package of SCH services at PHC facilities and also enable increased availability of PHC facilities providing a gender-responsive minimum package of SAMNCH services among others.
While soliciting more support from health workers, he stated that “we’re spreading the 20,000 enrollee across the 103 facilities, targeting pregnant women and children under five”.
The Project Manager, Basic Health Care Provision Program, Mr Feyijimi Egunjobi noted that the enrollment plan and the process of the phase 3 will involve town announcers, Officers in charge of each primary health care facilities in the participating 9 local governments areas.
He urged t health workers not to falsify any enrollee, stating that there would be data validation and physical enrolment of beneficiaries.
The meeting had in attendance participants including health workers, State Mobilization Officers from Okitipupa, Odigbo, Ondo West, Akure North, Ifedore, Akoko North East, Akoko South West, Ile Oluji/Oke Igbo, Owo.