As a way of cushioning the adverse effects of the current economic crisis, 70,000 Ogun residents will benefit from a free surgical health service scheme flagged off by Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration.
At the enrollment centre on Monday, the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency’s Executive Secretary, Dr Afolabi Dosunmu, said the scheme was open to residents of the state with surgical needs.
“The modalities are very simple. As long as you are a resident of the state with one surgical need or the other, you are free to walk into any of the general hospitals in the state and enrol in the insurance scheme. The doctors there will assess you if it is a case ready for surgery, and you will get the surgery done,” Dr Dosunmu said.
Explaining further the category of those who would benefit from the surgeries, he said; “if someone has a cataract, but it is not yet matured, we will still attend to the person and give the person a date once it is matured.
“It is possible that a patient comes and wants to do myomectomy which is the removal of fibroid. But when you now see the doctor, (and) they now say your electrolyte or BP is a little high, the BP will need to be put under control before you are enrolled for the surgery.”
He explained that the state’s health sector already got a mandate from the Governor, to enroll 70, 000 people broken down into 20, 000 pregnant women, 20, 000 market women, and 30, 000 poor people in the state.
“Twenty thousand pregnant women from the 12th week until delivery would be taken care of. The child would also enjoy free medical care services of up to 6 months after delivery.
“The Governor is aware of the economic hardship the people of the state are currently facing, and has come up with this as a form of palliative to cushion the effects of the hard economic situation in the country,” he said.
A retired head teacher, Akinola Olusola, who was at the scene of the enrollment, expressed joy at the initiative.
“When I heard about this programme, I quickly came down here. They have been trying since morning, registering us accordingly. It is a good programme,” she said.
The economic situation in the country has continued to worsen with the cost of living soaring on the back of higher inflation rate, and the continued decline of the naira, among other things.
Irked by the situation, Nigerians have held protests in different states. The Nigeria Labour Congress plans to hold a larger, two-day nationwide protest from Tuesday, February 27.
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