The Ondo State Government says no fewer than 54,000 pregnant women and children under the age of five have benefitted from the Abiyamo Scheme under the state’s Contributory Health Insurance Scheme.
The Special Adviser on Health to Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Tuesday in Akure.
Odimayo said the Abiyamo Scheme, an improvement on the former Abiye programme, allows pregnant women and children under five to access free healthcare services across the state.
“With this scheme, all pregnant women and children below the age of five are able to enjoy free health services. The government registers beneficiaries into an insurance system that enables the programme to run sustainably, without owing health facilities or incurring debt,” he said.
According to him, about 54,000 people have so far benefited from the scheme, with thousands of Caesarean sections conducted at no cost to patients.
“The programme is making steady progress, and I want to encourage our people to take advantage of this opportunity,” he added.
The special adviser commended Gov. Aiyedatiwa for prioritizing the health sector, noting that the introduction of the informal sector into the state’s Contributory Health Insurance Scheme was aimed at expanding access to healthcare for all residents.
“The inclusion of the informal sector in the contributory health scheme is designed to ensure that people across all economic strata can access healthcare services without facing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending,” he said.
Odimayo said the state government had continued to strengthen the health sector to meet the needs of its residents, adding that the governor had approved the recruitment of additional health workers at all levels.
He also revealed that the state, in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium, recently distributed about 2.5 million insecticide-treated nets and provided free malaria drugs to combat the disease.
According to him, health facilities across the state have been equipped with essential medical supplies to effectively manage malaria cases.
