Chioma Umeha
The Ogun State government says over 30,000 indigenes have
benefitted from the Community Based Health Insurance Scheme, tagged, ‘’Araya’’,
as part of government’s effort at providing efficient and free health care
service delivery to the residents of the state.
The wife of the Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Olufunso Amosun,
through the Press Officer, Ministry of Health. Miss. Omolola Awolana unveiled
this assertions at Araya Scale Up, held at Totoro Comprehensive Health Centre,
Abeokuta, said the Scheme was created to deliver free healthcare services for
pregnant women and children under the age of five, urging members of the
community to register, so as to benefit from the programme.
“I would like to reiterate that the health care services
here would be free for pregnant women and children under five. It is essential
for you to have an Araya so as to be able to get free health care service. Yes,
it is free and open to all members of the community, however you have to
register under the Araya programme’’, Mrs. Amosun said.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr.
Babatunde Ipaye, stated that, additional 500 families would be registered
during the Scale Up, adding that the number of facilities providing Araya
services across the State is now 85.
He added that government would make health care service
delivery possible for the people of the state, so as to reduce maternal and
child mortality rate in the state, saying that nobody would have cause to say
that no health facilities in his/her area.
The Commissioner therefore encouraged members of Totoro
community to patronize the Health Centre, noting that the facility was put in
place for the generality of the people but not for a selected class, even as it
is being managed by a private body to ensure effective and efficient health
care delivery to the citizenry.
Fifehan Ogunronbi and Soremekun Azeezat, on behalf of other
beneficiaries, appreciated government’s effort on the free health services and
the provision in their area, noting that they have been aspiring for the kind
gesture in their area.
They promised the state government of making use of health
facilities as it was nearness to
their area, noted that instead of going so far to access their health
conditions, they would just walk down the street and know their health conditions.
