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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) is working towards the setting up of a telemedicine center in Oke Ogun area of the state.
Executive Secretary of OYSHIA, Dr Sola Akande, disclosed this while speaking on Fresh 105.9FM, Ibadan, over the weekend.
He said: “One of the things we want to bring on board is telemedicine. The level we want to go now is to actually have telemedicine centers. We want to start one in Oke Ogun; you know that presently there are issues around doctors. Doctors are fleeing the country, we used to have about 45 doctors in our PHCs, now, I think we only have 25. A lot of them have travelled. So, innovation comes in, let’s have telemedicine centers, especially in rural areas.
“If we are able to have them, they will go to hospital normally, and they will see a doctor. And from there, a doctor will consult with them, we will set up a pharmacy in those places after consultations, whatsoever the drugs, just walk into the pharmacy and pick your drugs. If there is a need for physical contact, from there, there would be a referral to our secondary facility.”
Akande also said the agency is relentlessly trying to improve on re-enrollment rate, in order to get people that had already enrolled for re-enrollment.
“Like I said when you have group of people coming in, it is an indicator to the fact that the scheme is working, then the re-enrollment rate too is key.
“We have contacted a group that will help us to do that. Their own major assignment is to see how we can get the people that had enrolled to come and re-enroll.
“You have greater challenges when running after an individual for re-enrollment. It is always better when you have group of people, association, organised private sector coming on the scheme and that is the direction we are focusing on presently. At least, to ensure that re-enrollment rate is as high as 90%. Our re-enrollment rate is about 70% now, and we are still not happy with it. We think that nine out of every 10 enrollees should re-enroll the following year. That will show that people are getting value.
“We are also rebranding our community-based health insurance and I will begin to talk more on that to us in the coming weeks,” he said.
The Executive Secretary added that the agency is working on how to get household into the health insurance scheme, noting that such action will increase optic and aid dilution rate.
“At the community level, we want to begin to enroll household, not individual, a father will enroll his household at a fixed amount, and then, we will enroll that community into one PHC.
“Our target is to go into a community, and be able to get at least 5000 lives, different household will come on board,” Akande stated.
He noted that the agency is about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to bring their students into the scheme.
“We have Ladoke Akintola University on board; we have Tech-U on board; we have The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on board; Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; Eruwa Polytechnic. So, gradually the leadership is giving direction and also, we are solidifying that,” he said.
Akande commended the agency’s staff for the good job being done and assured the organised private sector joining the scheme that OYSHIA will not disappoint them.