The Ondo State Government has said 54,000 pregnant women and children under five have benefited from the Abiyamo Scheme under the state’s Contributory Health Insurance Scheme.

The Special Adviser on Health to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Simidele Odimayo, in an interview on Tuesday in Akure, said that the scheme enabled pregnant women and children under the ages of five to enjoy free health services.

He said, “The Abiyamo scheme that the government is currently running is an advancement of the Abiye scheme. With this system, all the people who are pregnant and children below five years are able to enjoy free health services.

“The government has done it in such a way that we register them, we put them in an insurance system, and by that insurance system, the government is able to run it without owing facilities, without running into debt, and is able to maintain it.

“Currently, we have about 54,000 people that have benefited from this; thousands of caesarean sections have been done for free. So, we have the programme really advancing, and I want to encourage our people and let them know that this is also another opportunity to embrace.”

The SA, who commended Mr Aiyedatiwa for taking health as a priority, said that the introduction of the informal sector into the State Contributory Health Scheme was to further enhance the health of people.

He said, “The launch of the informal sector into the contributory health scheme is virtually for anybody from all strata of the economy to enjoy health services without having to go through catastrophic spending in the course of the need for a health care system.”

According to him, the government has further strengthened the sector to meet the health needs of the people.

“We want to appreciate Mr Governor for all his support, for his encouragement, and for bringing an excellent team together to serve, help and advance the health of the people of Ondo State,” he said.

He added that the governor had approved the employment of more staff in the sector, at all levels, to meet the healthcare needs of people in the state.

Mr Odimayo added that the state, in conjunction with the malaria consortium, had recently distributed about 2.5 million insecticide-treated nets and given free malaria drugs in order to address the scourge in the state

The SA said that all health facilities across the state had been strengthened with necessary medicals to tackle malaria fever.
(NAN)