By Chisom Okafor
The Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), Dr. Augustine Ezeka, has intensified the agency’s engagement with accredited healthcare providers, taking its problem solving approach directly to hospitals to better understand operational challenges and improve care for enrollees.
Dr. Ezeka led the on the spot visits on Sept. 8 to Ekwulobia General Hospital, Isuofia General Hospital, Nnobi General Hospital and Nnewi Diocesan Hospital, where he interacted with hospital managements on issues affecting the implementation of the health insurance scheme.
The engagements provided an opportunity for ASHIA and the healthcare providers to openly discuss service-delivery concerns, clarify areas of difficulty and identify practical ways to strengthen cooperation between the agency and participating facilities.
At Ekwulobia General Hospital, the Chief Medical Director(CMD), Dr. Okpalanwa Patrick, expressed optimism about ASHIA’s willingness to address concerns raised by the facility, particularly those affecting its eye and dental units.
He pointed to gaps in some enrollees’ understanding of how the health insurance scheme operates, noting that this could sometimes lead to misunderstandings when accessing services.
Responding, Dr. Ezeka said regular engagement with providers was important to understanding the realities they faced in delivering care under the scheme, stressing that ASHIA’s resources should ultimately translate into appropriate and quality healthcare for enrollees.
The executive secretary emphasised the importance of a positive enrollee experience, noting that satisfactory service could build confidence in both the healthcare providers and the insurance programme.
At Nnobi General Hospital, the CMD was represented by Dr. Ugochukwu Obi, while the Hospital Director of Nnewi Diocesan Hospital, Venerable Dr. Ugochukwu Okafor, received the ASHIA team.
The hospital managements pledged their cooperation and continued support for ASHIA, expressing readiness to work with the agency in addressing identified challenges and improving services to enrollees.
The visits are part of ASHIA’s ongoing provider engagement efforts aimed at strengthening communication with accredited facilities, responding to operational concerns and fostering a more effective working relationship between the agency and healthcare providers.
Through sustained dialogue with participating hospitals, the agency is seeking to ensure that challenges affecting service delivery are identified early and addressed in ways that support better care for enrollees.
Chisom Okafor is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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