It was all smiles for the people of Igbogili, Abavo in Ika South LGA as Society for Family Health commences the provision of health care delivery at the re-activated Primary Healthcare Centre in Igbogiliy, Abavo today 29th May 2019. The facility which was built and abandoned over 5 years ago was one of the many facilities the management of the Delta State Contributary Health Commission (DSCHC) handed over to SFH under the Access to Finance Framework for the provision of quality healthcare services to the people of Abavo community in Ika South LGA.
Under the scheme, the DSCHC with technical support from PharmAccess Foundation has giving out defunct Primary Health Care (PHCs) centres to private sector organizations under a Public Private Partnership for a renewable period of five years to revitalize and manage. The facilities will be revitalized through appropriate renovation, provision of equipment and staffing for effective delivery of primary level services to members of the communities under the contributory health scheme.
It was therefore a thing of great joy for the people of Abavo community when the long-abandoned facility finally opens its doors to the community for the provision of free medical services to their people. Staff of the DHCHC were on ground to register members of the community into the scheme. Children under the age of 5, pregnant women and the elderly (above 65 years) who are registered under the scheme will benefit from free medical services based on the Benefit package of the scheme with their cost borne by the state government. Citizens outside this group will also benefit from free services after the payment of an annual fee of N7,000 during their registration.
Activities for the day started with Dr Peter Entonu, leading the SFH team met with the council of Chiefs and Elders of the community to inform them of the kick-off of the free medical services under the scheme. They were later joined by the team from the DSCHC who arrived from Asaba and explain the workings of the scheme to the elders and chiefs. The eldest among them were registered into the scheme on the spot and issued a temporal card while the rest of the group proceeded to the Health facility to continue the process. Even though it rained in the area, the rain could not prevent more people from coming to the facility with their children and aged parents to be registered.
Words have gone out and it is expected that more and more people will come out to get registered and access quality healthcare provided by SFH at the Igbogili PHC. The people expressed their appreciation to the governor of the state, His excellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for putting the scheme in place and remembering them by giving them a facility where they can access free health services.
