By Lawal Merit Ifeoma
Kwara State First Lady Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, officials of the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, healthcare service providers, and sponsors met in Ilorin on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen healthcare financing and lessen the burden of healthcare on vulnerable and indigent populations.
The meeting, which was organized by the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Authority, and other stakeholders.
In her remarks, Ambassador AbdulRazaq, who was represented by Deputy Director Ajike People Support Centre Ganiyu Olarewaju Opeloyeru, applauded the agency for securing the needed support of all stakeholders for improved outcomes in the health sector.
“I am proud to identify with the laudable activities of the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency and by extension the health programmes of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration. I am aware of your efforts in ensuring that more people are carrying along in the agency’s activities. More people are now enrolling in the health insurance scheme,” she said.
She also expressed her pride in the agency’s intervention at the Kwara State School for Special Needs, where the agency has transformed an ordinary clinic into a mini hospital and equipped it with medical supplies.
The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, said that the agency has over 70,000 enrollees, and that the number is expected to increase to 200,000 when civil servants are included.
She said that the agency is working to secure more sponsors to help finance the health insurance scheme for vulnerable and indigent populations.
The stakeholders discussed the success stories of the scheme, identified various challenges, and deliberated on the way forward. They agreed that the scheme is beneficial and promised to carry out intensive awareness campaigns to improve access to health facilities.
The meeting was a positive step towards strengthening healthcare financing in Kwara State and ensuring that all residents have access to quality healthcare.
