Primary Health Centres are aimed at easy access to affordable and quality healthcare services in standardized health centres within reach by citizens in a specific locality, be they employees of Government MDAs, private establishments, or self employed.In a bid to ensure that the State’s workforce and residents have access to quality healthcare services, Edo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki, rolled out its Health Insurance Scheme in the newly refurbished Primary Health Care Centres in the State. The scheme is funded from the Basic Primary Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), Edo State Equity Contribution and contribution from enrollees, with mechanisms put in place to cater for the health care needs of the different strata of the population, while for those without means, the basic healthcare provision funds ensure they get a minimum package of healthcare without having to pay a dime. All these are made available in well assessed, standardized hospitals and primary health care centres across the State.Originally misconstrued as benefitting only the workforce, Governor Godwin Obaseki saw the need for the entire populace to access improved healthcare delivery and as such, threw it open to all, with the aim of decentralizing health care services and enabling the people to maximize health care opportunities. This the Governor achieved by upgrading Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the State, equipping them with world-class equipment and manpower to guarantee an efficient and effective healthcare system.
Civilization has gone beyond centralized healthcare delivery which gives room to impatient and insensitive treatment of healthcare seekers by overworked healthcare providers, as well as the extortion of privileged healthcare seekers by private healthcare providers. To mitigate this, the State Government has succeeded in refurbishing and establishing at least one Primary Health Center in each local government area of the State.The goal however, according to Governor Obaseki, is to have at least a primary health centre in every ward in Edo State, with well-trained staff, and a technology framework that tracks the quality of services rendered, alongside specialized healthcare facilities to cater for patients.The quest to decentralize healthcare delivery in the State led to the birth of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EdoHIS) where the market woman or man only needs to contribute N50 (Fifty Naira) daily as an enrollee, to benefit from the scheme. This has led to a reduction in human traffic hitherto experienced in public hospitals, as residents in the State can now access quality healthcare from private-owned hospitals and health centers by merely presenting their health insurance certificates. This has made healthcare easy and affordable.Hoping to achieve universal health coverage in the State, Governor Obaseki has improved healthcare access through investment in facilities and equipment, training of personnel and digitalizing health care services. With access to healthcare services that are equitable and affordable and in close proximity to places of residence, Edo people are hereby encouraged to embrace and take advantage of the scheme through acceptability and active participation and enrolments.The call therefore, is for the generality of the people to collaborate with Edo State Government to preserve the environment and protect the health sector in its attempt to improve the social and economic well-being of the people, as Governor Obaseki remains committed in his determination to make healthcare easy and affordable for all Edo people.
By Nekpen Maureen Nwine
