The Edo Health Insurance Scheme plans to enroll no fewer than one million persons in the state at the end of 2021, out of which, 15 per cent will be vulnerable persons.
Governor Godwin Obaseki stated this at a summit organised by the scheme in Benin, yesterday, with the theme, “Health Insurance for All: Policy, Process and Framework: Developing All-Inclusive Coverage.”
The governor said that the focus was to make healthcare accessible and affordable to people in the state on a sustainable basis.
He added: “with about 200 million people in the country, it is unrealistic to fund healthcare from the budget.
“We are moving away from that mode where healthcare is predominantly funded by government and encourage private participation.’’
He said that funding healthcare was a critical aspect of the Edo Health Improvement programme.
Obaseki noted that two per cent of the state’s federal allocation would be set aside for the programme.
He explained that with the work being done by the Edo Health Insurance Commission, achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was possible.
