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In order to sustain and maintain the tempo the Bayelsa state Health Insurance Scheme has achieved as being the only state Health Insurance regular interactions between the management and Health care providers has become essentially imperative reports AMOS OKIOMA.
The Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme which started less than a year has registered over 80, 000 enrollees is the only state health insurance that has recorded tremendous success , though has not yet attained perfection and for improvement on the scheme there was the need for interactive session between Management of the scheme and Health providers .
The Executive- Secretary of the Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme Zuoboemi Agadah stated this in his welcome and opening address at the occasion .
According to him, there was the need to review the operation of the scheme which operates at three tiers, that is primary, secondary and tertiary levels and without interaction it cannot access how it has faired, stressing that the scheme has created impact being the only state health insurance that is in operation.
He said because of the success it has recorded some states had approached Bayelsa state Health Insurance a Scheme Board to understudy it with a view to replicating in their state and that the scheme from statistical data health seekers especially civil servants behavior has improved and there are plans to expand it to the community ” The good news is that Bayelsa state Is the only state that is operating a success Health insurance scheme comfortably and many states are eager to understudy it “
He said the program needs improvement, hence an approach to World Bank for Assistance for review of its operational guide lines has received approval with someone already sponsored for that purpose. He expressed appreciation to the approval by World Bank.
He also disclosed that the rancor that greeted the public service reforms such as multiple registration in state public service has reared its ugly head into the scheme and assured that plans have been intensified to checkmate that ugly scenario . ” The system can only be sustained by funds and when the funds is not there we can’t sustained it , our people need to change from their fraudulent tendencies”.
He further stated other areas where the scheme is been abused is the laws on registration of four biological children, record of the dead and retirees from the civil service and complaints from health care providers that capitation were delayed whereas most of them were yet to submit their bank details and urged them to rectify that as the state government has adequately budgeted enough funds for the scheme.
The Executive Secretary also disclosed that there are plans to celebrate the Bayelsa state Health insurance Scheme one year anniversary during which some distinguished health care providers would be given awards.
Speaking on “Overview of Bayelsa state Health Insurance Operation So far “, Dr Pele Ungbuku , Head of Medical Services and Quality Assurance, said for the Bayelsa state Health Insurance to succeed the need for interaction between health care providers and enrollees,service delivery , analysis of statistics and monitor of the enrollees can’t be over emphasized . That is why her department always go round to monitor major facilities to look into their gray areas and complaints and report such feed backs for improvement.
She advised “health care providers to study the operation guidelines and tell their clients which services they should pay for which are not captured, rather verbal information and those that flaunt their order should be prepared to pay the money receipted . This misunderstanding is making the scheme to loose money. Also of grave concern is Avalanche of complaints of the attitudes of facilities staff which has led many enrollees to change facility and equally influenced their their friends and family members to move from such facilities due to their staff attitude .We expect them to report to us . ” The more of the complaints, attitudes and as they received care they tell their colleagues, hence they leave for other facilities as enrollees should not , look at the size or beauty , but should access the quality care they received ” Health care facilities should avoid delay of generation of code and be aware of the code.
Adding that there is need to work as a team and warned Health care facilities against abandonment of enrollees and there is plan to embark on satisfactory survey to access areas of challenges.
According to Dr. Obioma Obikeze who spoke on “Health Insurance In Bayelsa State “, in other to ensure that civil servants are not short -changed members of the Board of the scheme also included chairmen of Nigeria labour Congress and Trade Union Congress . He disclosed that before the civil servants agreed to contribute their money to the scheme there were a lot of lobby, advocacy and to sustain it their interest has to be preserved and protected so that they would not fight back.”All the two leaders of labour Union are board members. Bayelsa state Health insurance scheme has grown from strength to strength , many states are trying to launch theirs , even Lagos that tried to launch her own in 2012 despite her wealth is yet to launch a viable health insurance scheme and Bayelsa state has a lot to sheer , though yet to attain perfection.”
He therefore, called on health care providers to provide basic structures to get results , to attract enrollees, any contributors with wrong inputs will deny them patronage .
He also reiterated the need to shun fraudulent practices, duplication of names and very soon there will be investigations and those found wanting will be given technical suspension as the more the volume of enrollees, the more you smile to the banks” he advised.
On their experiences, opinions of Health Care Providers,Some of the Health care providers such as Dr Sagbe, Owutuamo Spiff – Ebi and others highlighted the bottlenecks of the Bayelsa State Health insurance Scheme ( BHIS ) and principally among them were absence of motivations to encourage the front office staff, some also wanted the head of departments to disclose how much was received and how it was spent, review of tariffs, capitation delays , neglect and short – changing of civil servants especially those in the rural areas added to this is complaints by Dental specialists who insisted on collecting cash and ambiguity in operational guidelines. All these the Executive Secretary did not only commended the large turn – out for interactive session, but gave assurance that all the complaints were collated and will be addressed to ensure that program continue to improve tremendously. While some of the Health Care Providers suggested a workshop for the enrollees and commended the management for the regular interactions which will go along way to keep the enrollees and health care providers aware of dynamics of the program.
