The Executive Secretary of Oyo State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Olusola Akande says regular medical check-up is very important for the health status of every individual.
Dr. Akande stated this at a day sensitization programme organized by Oyo State Health Insurance Agency in collaboration with Oyo State Market Leaders Council held at Western Hall Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
He explained that the health insurance programme of the agency has been designed in a way to make it convenient for traders to register and enjoy its numerous benefits.
“We started it because we know if everyone contribute it could be daily or otherwise, this amount would be able to attend to our health issues.
“The ID we will give out to you is more valuable than an ATM card because the law states that the card we would give you means the health bill of the patient would be paid by someone either fully or installmentally.
“If you take our health insurance card into an hospital, they mandated to attend to you immediately. Any Medical practitioner that fails to do this risks losing his/her licence.
“Another benefit of this insurance is that it is important for us to know what work for ourselves. Let me explain it. Everyone on this scheme is eligible to take a medical check-up at least once a year. All you need to do is to go to one of the hospitals we approve and you will be attended to,” he said.
According to him, it is important for traders to have their health insured to enable them have access to quality healthcare.
Speaking furher on the benefits of the health insurance, Dr. Sola Akande said: “One major problem we have is that we don’t do medical check-up. The problem is not even sickness.
“Where I am going is that the most important benefit of this scheme is that once you do medical check,-up you will know what works for you. For examole, if you go for medical check-up and discover you have an high sugar level, you will adjust your lifestyle but if you don’t do the check-up you will be eating things injurious to your health.”
He explained further that a lot of people die “unnecessarily” due to the absence of regular medical check-up noting that the agency’s health insurance would put a stop to it.
He cited the example of a driver in the state’s civil service who was involved in an accident and his eyes was affected but because he was on the health insurance scheme, he was operated free of charge and today his two eyeballs are working perfectly well.
He maintained that the health insurance of the agency is effective in any medical centre in the country.
He also stated that any patient who make any payment at any hospital despite being on the insurance scheme would be refunded upon provision of payment evidence.
He also revealed that steps are already underway to ensure that the agency provides ambulance service as from January 2020 to ensure anyone on the scheme is picked up from home to hospitals in the event of an emergency.
In her own remark, the Chairman Canteen Workers Association of Oyo, Alhaja Amdalat Iyadunni commended the agency and described the insurance scheme as a laudable one.
She noted that a lot of market men and women don’t undergo check-up regularly and are fond of visiting quacks for medical treatment.
She also stated that the scheme in a bid to make the insurance scheme more accessible the agency has introduced an installment process for payment of payment of registration fee.
“We should not waste this opportunity because I Alhaja Amdalat, I am ready to cooperate with the government of Oyo State, ” she added.
The registration fee for the health insurance of the agency is N8,000 for an individual, N28,000 for a family and N2,800 for a student. It is paid once every year.
The sensitization programme had in attendance various Directors from the state’s health insurance agency, the Babaloja general of the state, Alhaji Yekini Abass and other market leaders.
Some market leaders who graced the one day programme include: Alhaja Amdalat Iyadunni, Chairman Canteen Workers Association of Oyo; Ahaji Yisau Kolayode, President, Artisans Association of Oyo State; President Joint Traders Of Oyo State, Mrs. Labake Lawal; President, NigerianYouth Traders Association Alhaji Najeemdeen Azeez; Association of Traders in Nigeria, Mrs. Sikirat Lawal.
