BHIS Introduces Co-operative Insurance, As Executive Secretary Promises Continuity

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa.

Following the achievements in the formal sector of the Bayelsa Health insurance scheme,BHIS, the administrators of the scheme have revealed that in order to encourage those in the informal sector to benefit from affordable healthcare delivery, it has introduced co-operative insurance for artisans.

Speaking with Newsmen Thursday,the Executive secretary of the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme,BHIS, Dr. Zouboemi Agadah,noted that the cooperative model is meant to leverage on the professional and vocational expertise of artisans by contributing into a common pool to access healthcare service.

The Executive Secretary said the Scheme introduced the co-operative model in the informal sector to capture those not in the compulsory contributory insurance scheme as well as to make cheap and affordable healthcare delivery to workers in the private sector.

Agadah reemphasized that with the introduction of the co-operative scheme the BHIS has also opened the opportunity for those who earn their living on daily income to be enrollees.

He noted that so far various co-operatives and unions have keyed in by taking advantage of the opportunity to be enrolled and urged others in the informal sector to do same.

Similarly, Agadah has again promised the sustainability of the scheme,saying the intentions of the initiators of the scheme is for it to outlive all administrations of the state.

The physician emphasised that under the previous administration the scheme achieved in enrolling higher number of enrollees than expected just as he called on more private sectors operatives to take advantage of the scheme.

“This insurance scheme was initiated to outlive every Government than will come in the state.We enrolled even more enrollees than we thought it would be initially.We’ve since started with the private sector August last year”, he said.