Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Community Empowerment Network (COMEN) has urged Anambra State residents to enrol in health insurance schemes to ease the financial pressure of medical treatment.
The organisation made the call during a health awareness outreach at St. Peter’s Catholic Parish, Urum, in Awka North Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary of COMEN in Anambra State, Albert Chinwuko, said health insurance could provide families with financial protection when they require medical attention, particularly during emergencies and other costly treatments.
He said many households could be forced into financial hardship when faced with unexpected hospital bills, stressing that health insurance provides an opportunity to spread the cost of healthcare rather than paying the full amount when illness occurs.
Chinwuko illustrated the benefit with the experience of his family, saying his son’s wife delivered twins at a hospital where the total bill amounted to ₦280,000.
He said the family paid only ₦25,000 because she was covered by health insurance. “My son’s wife gave birth to twins. The total hospital bill was ₦280,000, but we paid only ₦25,000. You can see how much the health insurance scheme helped our family,” he said.
He also cited the case of a woman who needed an emergency operation after being referred to a private hospital in the early hours of the morning.
According to him, the procedure cost about ₦380,000, but the woman did not pay for the surgery because she was enrolled in a health insurance scheme. “The only money the family spent was about ₦80,000 for drugs they purchased,” Chinwuko said.
He described health insurance as an important social protection measure, particularly for vulnerable families and residents of rural communities who may struggle to meet the cost of treatment when serious health problems arise.
The outreach was organised under the Strengthening Public Accountability for Results and Knowledge (SPARK 2) project, being implemented in Anambra State by the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) Nnewi, Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), Civil Rights Concern (CRC) and COMEN.
Chinwuko, who is also COMEN Chairman in Awka North Local Government Area, urged residents to make greater use of primary healthcare centres in their communities.
He said residents should particularly take advantage of services available through facilities supported by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
According to him, the SPARK 2 intervention is focused on strengthening maternal and child healthcare, but residents must patronise the facilities if they are to benefit from the improvements.
“But you can only enjoy the improved services when you patronise the health centres.
“Therefore, we are urging you not to abandon the health centres in this community. We must work with government to better the conditions of those facilities,” he said.
Chinwuko also encouraged residents to obtain their National Identification Number (NIN), which he said was important for accessing a number of government services and social programmes.
“If you don’t have a NIN, you won’t benefit from many government programmes. NIN is now compulsory for everyone, and we are urging all residents to register.
“It is an important gateway to accessing healthcare and other public services,” he said.
He explained that residents who had not obtained their NIN could seek assistance at primary healthcare centres.
“Without NIN, you cannot enrol for health insurance. If you go to your primary health centre, they will help you to get your NIN,” he said.
The COMEN official assured residents that the organisation and its partners were available to provide guidance to those interested in enrolling in health insurance schemes.
The sensitisation programme also featured an interactive session where parishioners sought clarification on the Anambra State and Federal Government health insurance schemes.
Participants asked questions about the renewal of their coverage and the range of services included in the different benefit packages.
Several residents expressed interest in obtaining further information and enrolling in the schemes following the outreach.
