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Health Insurance Scheme: What Govt Did For Abia Civil Servants

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9 hours ago

April 12, 2025

An istagram user, ‘peopleofabia’ had last year, alleged that scores of residents from Abiriba, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, were hosptialised following a free medical outreach in the community. Photo used for illustration purposes

Abia State government has launched a civil servants’ health insurance scheme, promptly injecting a takeoff fund of N1 billion into it.

The health insurance scheme is for the Formal Sector, with the government saying it would provide affordable and accessible healthcare to civil servants and their dependents.

Launching the scheme Thursday, Governor Alex Otti said the state was committed to ensuring good health for the people of the state.

He emphasized that financial challenges would no longer be a barrier to accessing healthcare in the state.

“Nobody in the New Abia will be denied access to health services due to financial incapacity,” he declared.

He further explained that the scheme would allow civil servants and their dependants to enroll for 24/7 quality healthcare services at designated facilities across the state.

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“This initiative is designed to significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses for individuals in formal sector employment,” the governor said.

“It will minimize the risks and dangers associated with self-medication and increase demand for medical services at public health facilities in both urban and rural communities.”

Surgical, orthopaedic, paediatric, obstetric, and gynaecology care, are part of services accommodated in the civil servants’ health insurance scheme, Otti informed.

He urged all Abia workers in ministries, departments, and agencies to fully participate in the programme.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, while describing civil servants’ health insurance scheme as a historic milestone added:

“The scheme operates on a contributory basis, with employees contributing 5%, and the government covering the remaining percentage.

“For the first six months, workers will contribute 2.5% of their basic salaries, while the government will cover the other 2.5%,” Uche explained.

He also mentioned that the government had provided N1 billion as a take-off fund for the scheme.

Uche encouraged civil servants to register immediately to fully benefit from the programme, noting that it would help reduce reliance on unqualified medical practitioners.