The Ondo State Contributory Health Insurance Commission plans to enrol at least 1,000 retirees, expanding access to affordable healthcare services statewide, according to the director-general, Abiodun Oyeneyin.

Mr Oyeneyin said on Tuesday in Akure that the initiative would extend coverage, following Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s recent commencement of informal sector participation in the state health insurance scheme.

He said the commission recently partnered with Stanbic IBTC and the Ondo government to enrol 1,000 additional retirees while engaging the National Union of Pensioners to ensure wider participation and statewide coverage.

Mr Oyeneyin said efforts were intensifying to penetrate the informal sector, with ongoing engagements involving commercial motorcycle riders, market women, artisans, and others, to ensure inclusive healthcare access across communities in Ondo.

He explained that the programme aligned with the governor’s ‘Our Ease’ agenda, prioritising efficient healthcare delivery and socioeconomic welfare, while collaborations ensured essential drugs remained available through effective commodity management systems.

Mr Oyeneyin said recruitment of health personnel was ongoing across primary, secondary, and tertiary facilities, aimed at ensuring timely treatment and improved quality of care for enrollees in Ondo hospitals statewide.

He said stakeholder engagements had yielded useful feedback to improve services, adding that the commission’s 24/7 helpline was operational and being strengthened through Starlink network support for public access statewide.

The director-general said the commission had owed no service provider since 2019 and would enhance its automated claims management system, enabling payments within the stipulated 30-day timeframe across all accredited facilities.

(NAN)