The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has stated that the enrollment of pensioners into the health insurance scheme in the state was initiated after a situational review found that many of them were dealing with various health challenges.
Governor Adeleke made this revelation on Wednesday during the launch of pensioners’ enrollment for the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) at the Government Secretariat in Abeere.
The state governor had directed that pensioner in the state should be enrolled into OHIS.
The OHIS Executive Secretary, Rasak Akindele, added that 19,000 pensioners in the state have been earmarked for the programme.
According to Adeleke, “Our administration conducted a situational review of the living conditions of our pensioners. We discovered that the critical problem is not just unpaid pensions. Even when paid regularly, the bulk of the fund goes into managing health challenges. Our report concluded that almost eighty percent of pensioners’ problems centre around health issues.
“It was at this point that we decided to address the root cause. We opted to meet our senior citizens at their point of needs. It is gratifying to note that this programme is the first of its kind. This is a direct intervention to prove that the government can indeed meet the desires and aspirations of the people.
“Our dear senior citizens, let me report that on a daily basis, I think outside the box to find solutions to our aspirations and demands. It was in that line that we unveiled the multi-billion-naira infra plan for the state. I appreciate the wide acceptance of the plan by the good people of Osun State.”
He urged the retirees to take advantage of the enrollment opportunity and mentioned that all of the 19,000 pensioners in Osun will be enrolled in the scheme.
Governor Adeleke also assured the state’s civil servants and pensioners that the funding for the infrastructure plan of his administration will not have a negative impact on their welfare.
The state government had announced a N100 billion infrastructural development plan, including the construction of flyovers, road reconstruction, rehabilitation of public schools and health facilities, and more.
