Abia Govt Approves Health Safety Policy as Insurance Scheme Exceeds Enrolment Target

The Abia State State Executive Council has approved Abia State’s Health, Safety and Environment Policy, with a sign-off by the state governor.

The Commissioner for Information Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this Monday, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu said that the policy was a major milestone in the state government’s determination to cater for the health, safety and well-being of the state’s civil servants.

“This state’s occupational health, safety and environment policy is a major milestone in the state government’s determination to cater for the health, safety and well-being of the state’s civil servants,” Kanu said.

“The policy will be further espoused with the approval of the Implementation Proposal by His Excellency the Governor of Abia State, Dr. ALex Otti OFR.”

The Commissioner informed that the Abia Social Health Insurance Scheme enrolment has exceeded its set target of 100,000 participants for 2025 recording up to 103,076 as of August 17, 2025.

“This is more than an eloquent endorsement of the scheme by the sector participants, and a display of an abiding trust by the participants that the scheme has the potential to address their most pressing health care needs,” Kanu noted.

He said that, following the success of the insurance scheme, the informal sector enrolment will commence this week, and that the details of that would be made available in due course.

He explained that the State Ministry of Health recently created two new departments, the Abia Drug and Medical Commodities Management Agency, and the Department of Nutrition, in line with the N-774 Nutrition Initiative of the federal government.

He informed that 121 Primary Health Centres have so far been completed under the Project Ekwueme programme, 17 of which have become functional and are already providing services in their respective communities.

“33 of the completed PHCs are being equipped currently and ready for functionalisation. When completed, this will bring the total number of functionalised PHCs to 50,” the commissioner said.

“The next batch to be functionalised thereafter, will be another 50. And this will form part of the third phase of the completed PHCs to be fully equipped for use by members of the public,” Prince Kanu stated.

He explained that, the delay in completing the projects within the 100 days was caused by the need to increase the scope of work as well as vagaries of weather and, ‘in one or two instances, contractors’ lapses.’

Prince Kanu noted that the expected date of completion of the project is October 31, 2025, adding that, on completion of the State government would flag-off another phase of the project.

“Of course, we are aware that the state has 948 PHCs. And strategically, the state government is taking them in batches to bring them back to work.”