Anambra State Government Includes Prostate Surgery In ASHIA Health Scheme
Chinwe Onuigbo, Awka
The Government of Anambra State has included Prostate Surgery in Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA, Health scheme. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi confirmed that the agency has included prostatectomy into the health package of their beneficiaries.
Dr. Onyemaechi disclosed this during a quarterly meeting of the agency and her medical providers held in Awka, the state capital.
According to Dr Onyemaechi, the move is in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s desire for them to achieve a Universal Health Coverage in Anambra where people will not pay out of pocket in order to receive adequate health services.
Dr. Onyemaechi explained that Governor Soludo has always charged them to expand the benefit package of the scheme where their enrollees will benefit more from the system, hence the inclusion of the prostate surgery into the scheme to take care of the ageing male population in the state.
The ASHIA boss said that for one to benefit from the prostatectomy, he or she must have been an ASHIA beneficiary for at least six months, and urged the healthcare providers to always deliver quality healthcare services that are affordable and accessible to their enrollees.
According to him, ASHIA expects that the services they should pay for or have paid should must be rendered the way it should be, and that when such services are not delivered optimally it means that they have failed their enrollees.
Dr. Onyemaechi frowned at the unwholesome attitudes of some of the healthcare providers and warned that any facility found wanting would be sanctioned accordingly, even as he commended them for supporting the agency in delivering quality healthcare services to Anambra people.
He emphasized that ASHIA is the first state health insurance agency to include prostatectomy into their services in Nigeria, and that they will also cover Computed Tomography Scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hormonal profile male/female, among others. Question and answer section climaxed the event attended by owners and managing directors of implementing medical facilities across the 21 local government areas of Anambra state.
