The Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Health has threatened to sanction erring health institutions and practitioners sabotaging the Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) and other related health programmes of the state government.
The resolutions was reached when the committee led by Hon Austin Uroye played host to some government establishments under the supervision of the State Ministry of Health during the ongoing 2022 Budget Defense by MDAs in the State.
Some of the establishments under the Ministry of Health that appeared before the committee for their various Budget Defense include: State Action Committee on Aids (SACA); Delta State Drug Revolving Fund Agency; College of Health Technology, Ufuoma-Ughelli; School of Nursing and Midwifery and the State Health Insurance Scheme.
While others had seamless defense before the committee of with commendations, it was not same with the State Health Insurance Scheme where alleged official irregularities in the scheme were thrown open by members.
The Chairman of the Assembly Committee, Hon Austin Uroye and a member of the committee, Emeka Nwaobi, frowned at the reports that beneficiaries were being denied drugs under the pretense that such drugs were not available.
Relying strongly on its Statutory obligation of oversight functions, the Lawmakers said the committee will henceforth ensure regular monitoring of the various health institutions where the HIS programme is being implemented across the state, stressing that there must be a stop to the worrisome situation.
The committee however, directed the state Commissioner for Health to schedule a meeting with members of the Assembly Committee, officials of the Health Insurance Scheme and stakeholders, as well as the various agencies in the state Ministry of Health.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Austin Uruoye emphatically said, the committee will not allow any government officials toy with the lives of the people, saying that what is happening in some of the health institutions is appalling and should be checked.
Hon Uroye promised that henceforth, the committee would scale up it oversight activities, stressing that the issue of regular monitoring and supervision must be taken seriously so that Deltans will continue to benefit from the laudable schemes and programs of the State government.
Pointing out that the State Government is doing its best in terms of good budgetary allocations to the health sector, the lawmaker said that the effort was to ensure that citizens get the best in terms of health needs, and noted that it was
unfortunate that some operators in the health institutions are not helping matters.
He emphasized that the sad narratives should not be allowed to continue as punitive measures must be initiated to ensure that those unwholesome practices are discontinued.
“Henceforth, we will scale up our oversight function. The issue of regular monitoring must be taken seriously so that Deltans will continue to benefit from this scheme. If you look at the budget for the health sector every year, you will discover that the state government is doing it’s best by ensuring that citizens get the best in terms of health needs. But unfortunately, operators in these health institutions are not helping matters.This nonsense must not continue. We must initiate punitive measures to ensure that these misconducts do not continue under our watch” Uruoye said.