By Pat Gbemudu
100 indigenes of Afiesere community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have been adopted and enrolled into the Delta State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, courtesy of the newly inaugurated President-General of the Central Executive Committee of Afiesere Community, Mr. Luke Umukoro.
The beneficiaries, comprising the young and elderly, and registered under the Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiative of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), will now enjoy free healthcare services for one year.
While informing the people of the various health plans and initiatives of the Commission at Ughelli, the venue of the inauguration of the Afiesere Central Executive Committee, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, said the Indigent Enrollee Adoption Initiative—his brainchild—is a platform where more privileged persons can reach out to the less fortunate in society who may not afford the ₦7,000 health insurance premium. He encouraged everyone to key into the initiative to enable more people to access free healthcare and prolong their lives.
Dr. Akpoveta commended Mr. Umukoro for considering the health needs of his people and taking a bold step to register up to 100 beneficiaries, noting that he had started his administration on a positive note.
In an acceptance speech immediately after he and members of his executive had taken the relevant oaths, the President-General of Afiesere Community and sponsor of the beneficiaries, Mr. Luke Umukoro, expressed his readiness to serve the community with integrity, transparency, and dedication, while also calling for their cooperation to make Afiesere Community a beacon of hope, prosperity, and harmony. He said that having worked in the health sector, he understood the challenges of the people, hence the gesture, and commended the state government for its efforts at sustaining the state health insurance scheme.
Those who spoke, including some chiefs, the immediate past Chairperson of Afiesere Christian Fellowship, Reverend Mercy Otuokena, the Security Manager of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, Chief Herman-Van Niekerk, as well as the beneficiaries, lauded the gesture.
The high point of the event was the presentation of an award to Mr. Luke Umukoro as a Health Insurance Ambassador, in recognition of his significant contributions to improving healthcare in Delta State, as well as the data capture of the beneficiaries by officials of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission.