The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, has announced the payment of health insurance for 250 persons with disabilities.
Akpoveta made the announcement when he received, on a courtesy visit, the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability at the commission’s office on Thursday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
He said the beneficiaries comprise 10 persons with disabilities drawn from each of the 25 local government areas of the state, enabling them to receive quality healthcare services and be protected from the financial hazards of high out-of-pocket medical costs.
Dr. Akpoveta said, “Through initiatives like the Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiatives, Artisans Enrollee Inducement Initiatives, and TISHIP, the Delta State Health Insurance Commission strives to break down barriers and create a more inclusive healthcare system that caters to the diverse needs of the population.
“We acknowledged the unique challenges faced by persons with disabilities, including social stigma, discrimination, and limited access to essential services.
“It is the collective responsibility of citizens to challenge such barriers and create an inclusive society that respects and values the contributions of every citizen, I want to reaffirm the Commission’s commitment to ensuring their inclusion, support, and equal opportunities within the society.
“In this pursuit, the Delta State Contributory Health Commission Law of December 2019 has taken significant steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive the quality healthcare they deserve.
“The Equity Health Plan, as stated in section 18 subsection I(a) of the Law, recognizes the vulnerable, which includes pregnant women, children under five (5) years, the elderly over 65 years of age, the physically and mentally challenged, the less privileged, and others”.
Dr Akpoveta also commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whose M.O.R.E agenda had provided the platform for all residents of Delta state to have access to quality and affordable healthcare.He called on philanthropists, high net worth individuals, and organisations to come to the aid of people living with disabilities and adopt and purchase health insurance premiums at 7,000 Naira only per person into the DSCHS, as the government alone could not do it all.
Earlier, the state Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, and Special Assistant to the Governor on Disabilities Matters, Mr Ernest Igbuzor, said the visit was to appeal to the Delta State Contributory Health Commission to look into the health of Persons with Disabilities.
Igbuzor noted that the appeal was necessary to get attention from any of the designated central hospitals across the state for medical attention for his members so that they too could be healthy and be useful to society.
