The Imo State Government, led by His Excellency, Distinguished Senator (Dr) Hope Uzodimma, has intensified efforts to rejuvenate primary healthcare services and expand health insurance coverage across the state.
In a landmark move to advance these initiatives, Governor Uzodimma convened a strategic stakeholders’ meeting, gathering key State, Local Government, and Community leaders.
The outcome of the meeting was the establishment of implementation committees across Local Government Areas (LGAs) and communities, tasked with ensuring health insurance enrollment in all 656 communities within Imo State. This structure aims to foster community ownership and participation, particularly at the grassroots level.
Speaking at the meeting, Governor Uzodimma emphasized his administration’s commitment to expanding health insurance to both the formal and informal sectors of the state’s population. Notably, the government has taken on the responsibility of paying health insurance premiums for state and local government civil servants, as well as pensioners. The Governor underscored that these efforts are designed to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and promote equitable access to quality healthcare services.
However, the Governor expressed concern over the prevalence of avoidable deaths in the state, attributing them to unequal access to healthcare caused by financial barriers. He lamented that many residents resort to self-medication and the use of counterfeit drugs, a situation the government is determined to change.
To support the expanded insurance coverage, Governor Hope Uzodimma announced plans to construct and equip prototype primary healthcare centers in each of the 305 INEC Wards. These centers will offer basic health services and will be staffed by newly recruited healthcare workers, who will benefit from an improved salary structure. In addition, the government has pledged that each LGA will have at least one functional general hospital to serve as a referral centers for the primary health centers.Further strengthening healthcare infrastructure, the Imo State government will deploy trained healthcare personnels and establish a central drug management system to ensure the availability of essential medicines and equipment.
The recent stakeholders’ meeting and the formation of the enrollment committees mark a significant stride towards achieving universal health coverage in Imo State. These concerted efforts highlight the government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health of all residents and laying the foundation for a healthier, more resilient Imo State.
