Ogun State Government signs MOU with NHIS to improve community-based health insurance

The governement of Ogun state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to help improve community-based health insurance scheme popularly called “Araya” in the state.

The MoU was signed the state's commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka. According to him, the universal health coverage required collaborative efforts and strong commitment of stakeholders on health to become a reality.

The commissioner laid emphasis on the importance of quality service to the people and highlighted community health insurance scheme as a potential avenue to solve the health challenges of the citizens of the state.

“Our people need qualitative and sustainable health care that will be accessible to them anytime, anywhere and this scheme will definitely cater for all these,” Soyinka noted.

Reacting on the comments, the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Dr. Femi Thomas said that the health needs of the people must be attended to in a practical manner without giving room for sentiments.

The secretary also commended the state for their remarkable achievement, saying that it will move the state's health sector forward.

“We want to register the support and enthusiasm of our organisation with Ogun State government on the successful take-off and towards implementation and sustenance of this scheme while all arrangements have been concluded to subsidize the scheme for three years,” he said.

Other stakeholders and organizations who attended the program also pledged their support and commitment to the success of the initiative.

Some of them include; Representatives of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Health Management organisations (HMOs) Board of Trustee (BOT) among others.