The Ogun government says it is working to educate tertiary students about the need of enrolling in its health insurance scheme.
Tomi Coker, the commissioner for health, addressed during a stakeholder activation meeting for the ‘Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP)’ in Abeokuta on Thursday.
The meeting was co-hosted by Abayomi Arigbabu, the commissioner for education, science, and technology, according to NAN.
Coker stated that the move was made to relieve the students of the worry of having to use their funds to seek quality healthcare in the state.
Heads of tertiary institutions, both public and private, deans of student affairs, and representatives of the student union government were present at the meeting (SUG).
Undergraduates, according to Coker, are a crucial element of the system “who, incidentally, have not benefited from it.”
She stated that the current administration in the state had made significant investments in healthcare across all three tiers.
According to the commissioner, integrating the students would allow them to benefit from the plan both on and off campus, at any time of day or night.
Coker stated that the government has subsequently enlisted the help of artisans, market men and women, and community development groups (CDAs), among others, to promote the move toward universal health coverage.
According to her, the Dapo Abiodun-led government is working to lay a firm foundation for the health sector, from which future generations would profit.
“I want to plead with you to come up with ideas and suggestions that will enhance the workability of this TISHIP. If our undergraduates are on board, we will have little or no cause to worry during any health emergency,” she said.
“The scheme has been designed to allow for referral, from the primary to secondary and tertiary levels of care.
“Any student of Ogun state does not have to pay out-of-pocket to access quality healthcare considering that the governor has provided equipment, good infrastructure and human resource for health, which are not always available to students.”
Arigbabu, for one, stated that the effort would ensure that students at educational institutions were appropriately cared for both on and off campus in the event of an emergency.
He stated that the purpose of the activation meeting was to alert the heads of tertiary institutions and the leaders of the students’ union to the need to obtain their consent.
He stated that the attendees of the meeting might better educate the full population of students at each institution of higher learning on the benefits of the program.
