Healthcare: FCTA officials understudy Anambra Health Insurance Agency operations

As part of efforts to improve service delivery in the FCT Health Insurance sector, the FCT Administration has approved an understudy tour of the operations of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), which is considered one of the best in Nigeria.

It was gathered that the Mandate Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe who approved the trip, instructed the delegation to ensure they come back with better knowledge of the Operations that can be replicated and improved upon in the FCT.

According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) at FHIS, David Barau, the delegation from the FCT Health Insurance Scheme FHIS, who arrived Awka arrived in company of the Acting Director FHIS Dr. Salamatu Belgore are expected to understudy their host operations.

Belgore noted that the delegation are aware of the success stories recorded in Anambra and like 13 other State Social Health Insurance Schemes that had visited previously, the FHIS were there to understudy the system with a view to replicating and or improving on them in the FCT.

“Our Permanent Secretary Dr. Babagana Adam was actually supposed to accompany us on this trip, however the exigency of his work did not allow that.

“However, we came with a good number of our staff from ICT, marketing, operations, planning research, monitoring, public relations etc to understudy the runnings of the agency and take back first hand knowledge of what we learnt to our bosses, who are the key decision makers for further improvement of our services.”

She urged the FHIS staff to pay full attention and ask relevant questions that will help them improve thier capacity when they get back.

Earlier, in his remarks the Managing Director/CEO of ASHIA, Dr. Simeon  Onyemaechi, said Anambra State was able successfully to let go of the services of  third party operators in the management of their health insurance, a feat that was considered impossible in the health insurance landscape of the country.

Dr. Onyemaechi, who also doubles as the chairman forum of CEOs of State Health Insurance Agencies of Nigeria attributed the successes of his agency to the free hand the governor of Anambra State has given them to work.

He said the running of states Social Health Insurance Agencies can be a bit easier when thier is government support.

He said it wasn’t easy at the beginning because funding wasn’t coming from any quarters, however they’ve been able to achieve a level of financial stability through boosting thier enrollment figures to above 200,000 lives.

“We don’t use Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO’s) here in ASHIA, they told us it can’t be done and we won’t succeed, but as it is we are doing it and the FCT now is the 14th State to visit us to see how we are doing it and getting it right”, he said.

Onyemaechi commended the FCT Administration under the leadership of the Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike for sending a large delegation

“From all the 13 states health insurance agencies we have received here in Akwa, this is the largest delegation we have received so far so kudus to the FCT Administration”, he reiterated.