The Kwara State Government has enrolled additional 21,750 indigents in free health insurance package for the next one year.

Added to 29,000 Kwarans sponsored through the FG-funded Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which the state invested in, the 21,750 new enrollees bring the total beneficiaries of free healthcare in the state to 51,750 for 2022-2023.

At the official launch of the Phase II of health insurance enrollment in Ilorin on Friday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the administration has invested heavily in the procurement of new medical equipment and employment health personnel to boost the state's capacity to deliver quality healthcare services to an average Kwaran.

He said with the indigents newly enrolled into the state free health insurance scheme, the administration was making another landmark achievement in the health sector.

The programme was organised by the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency (KWHIA) under Dr. Olubunmi Jettawo-Winter.

“We are writing another success story of our administration today. Today, we are enrolling 21,750 indigents into our free health insurance scheme. Added to some 29,000 indigents whose subscriptions we have also renewed under the Basic Health Insurance Provision Fund, this brings to 51,750 the tally of people who will access free healthcare for the year 2022-2023. I am glad that thousands of working class people have also subscribed on their own,” the governor said.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril, AbdulRazaq said the scheme covers antenatal care, deliveries, surgeries, diabetes and asthma, among other chronic and non-chronic illnesses for the beneficiaries.

“This explains why our state is emerging as a bright spot in national health indices.

“This did not just happen. It is all a culmination of our serious efforts in the sector. Our investments in new medical gadgets, facilities and personnel have boosted our capacity to offer improved healthcare delivery,” he said.

The governor said for the first time in the state, the administration has made available N100 million equity funds to enroll the indigents, adding that the government has also paid the counterpart funds that qualified Kwara to be part of the BHCPF programme of the federal government.

He commended the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Olubunmi Jettawo-Winter, and her team for doing a good job, and appreciated the people of the state for their confidence in the programme.

The wife of the governor, Mrs Olufolake AbdulRqzaq, said the programme was a clear testament of sincere commitment of the present administration to the welfare of the people of Kwara State.

The governor's wife said her office and the Ajike People Support Centre have been complementing the government's efforts by enrolling people living with sickle cell into the scheme in 2021 and 2022 to provide care to the sickle cell warriors across the state.

Jettawo-Winter said the government launched the scheme in 2020 to offer quality and affordable healthcare services to all Kwarans, covering at least 10,000 indigents for the take-off.

She said the agency has between 2020 and 2022 performed 107 surgeries, including 48 cesarean sections and 138 deliveries; managed over 200 diabetic and hypertensive cases; with at least 1,324 other services during the period.

Jettawo-Winter said the governor has approved an additional N100 million equity fund for 2022.