By Jeff Agbodo
It was wide jubilation for many indigent patients with various ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, eye diseases, hernia, fibroid, appendicitis, sickle cell diseases, and pregnant women who received free surgery and treatment courtesy of the health insurance scheme of Ebonyi State Government.
Some of the indigent patients have lived with the ailments for many years without any hope or succour due to lack of funds to undertake surgery or seek adequate healthcare services in the hospitals.
The agency enrolled the pregnant women and paid for free surgeries of Cesarean operation, eye, hernia, fibroid, appendicitis surgeries, and other treatment free of charge. Most of the aliments treated free by the agency cost between N300,000 and N1 million for surgeries, and the amount that the indigent patients could not afford.
The free surgeries and treatments were done in designated hospitals such as Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, Mile Four Hospital, Abakaliki, some General Hospitals and private hospitals, and Primary Health centres in the state.
The Executive Secretary of EBSHIA, Dr. Divine Okemefuna Igwe, said over 31,051 pregnant women have been enrolled into the Scheme while over 28,000 pregnant women have safely delivered their babies completely free of charge under the scheme.
He noted that more than 478,607 healthcare services have been provided without the devastating financial burden that once kept families away from hospitals.
Igwe stated that the agency has succeeded through the efforts of the governor to reduce infant and maternal mortalities and has saved many lives in the rural areas, calling for more enrollment.
A woman who benefited from a free Cesarean operation, Mrs. Amaka Nwojiji, thanked the governor of the state and his wife for the support and for saving her life and that of her baby.
“I was in labour for two days without any sign of normal delivery. The nurses told my husband that we should prepare for an operation to save my life and my baby. They said that I couldn’t deliver the baby on my own because of the size of the baby.
“They said that we should go and prepare for the next day with the sum of N300, 000 because we are indigent, but my husband doesn’t have up to N50,000 as a farmer. I had registered in the agency for antenatal through one politician in my village.”
Another beneficiary of Fibroid operation, Mrs. Rose Ogadu from Ohaukwu, narrated how she suffered from the ailment for 12 years without childbirth.
“My problem started 12 years ago after my marriage. One year, two years, three years, four years, no sign of pregnancy; I became worried, likewise my husband. So, pressure started coming from left and right from my husband’s family, asking why I was yet to conceive a baby. I took several medications, including herbal medicine, to no avail.
“As the medications were going on, my belly would swell up, and many thought I was pregnant, but I wasn’t, so after some time my belly would reduce to normal. This problem continued until my brother took me and my husband to a doctor friend who advised that we should do a series of tests and a scan, which he funded because we didn’t have any money. So, when the results of the test came out, they said it was Fibroid which has stayed long and grown big in my stomach.
“It was the doctor who told us about this health insurance and what they do. The doctor told us the urgency of the operation to remove the Fibroid before it kills me because at times I will be bleeding. So, my brother enrolled me, and they took me to a teaching hospital in Abakaliki, where they conducted another test and scan and confirmed that I had fat Fibroid, they book me for an operation the following week. They performed the operation, and it was successful. This thing happened in 2024 after one year I took in, and today I have a baby boy to the glory of God and that of Governor Nwifuru and his wife who paid for the operation,” Mrs. Ogadu stated.
A man, Mr. Steven Nwonu Aja-Eze from Okposi in Ohaozara local government area, in his testimony, said that his four-year-old boy received a free hernia operation in DUFUTH in 2024.
“I am a beneficiary of the free surgery because my son went for hernia surgery two years. The surgery was supposed to cost us about N200,000 to N300,000, but we did not pay anything because the government took care of the bill through the health insurance scheme. I want to thank Governor Nwifuru and Dr. Igwe for their magnanimity to Ndi Ebonyi. I urge all the Ebonyians to enroll in the EBSHIA to benefit from these free healthcare services made available for indigent families,” he said.
Another beneficiary of eye surgery, HRH Augustine Ikechukwu Eneke of Abaomege, Onicha council, said that he was almost blind when he was brought to an Eye hospital at Mile 50, Abakaliki for a medical check, where he received succor from EBSHIA.
“I can see with my two eyes and drive my car again. For some years, I was not using my two eyes, so the doctor advised me to undergo eye surgery. But help came from EBSHIA who paid for the eye surgery.
“Thanks to the governor and his wife for the initiative. There are many people in the villages dying of deadly diseases but don’t have money to access healthcare. Our politicians and wealthy men and women should enroll them in the insurance scheme to benefit from the services. With this scheme, many people have regained their health,” Eneke said.
