From Isaac Ojo
The Community Empowerment Network (COMEN) has urged residents of Anambra State to enrol in health insurance schemes to reduce the financial pressure associated with medical treatment.
The organisation made the call during a health awareness outreach at St. Peter’s Catholic Parish, Urum, in Awka North Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary of COMEN in Anambra State, Albert Chinwuko, said health insurance could provide families with financial protection when they require medical attention, particularly during emergencies and other costly treatments.
He said many households could be forced into financial hardship when faced with unexpected hospital bills, stressing that health insurance provides an opportunity to spread the cost of healthcare rather than paying the full amount when illness occurs.
Chinwuko illustrated the benefit with the experience of his family, saying his son’s wife delivered twins at a hospital where the total bill amounted to ₦280,000.
He said the family paid only ₦25,000 because she was covered by health insurance. “My son’s wife gave birth to twins. The total hospital bill was ₦280,000, but we paid only ₦25,000. You can see how much the health insurance scheme helped our family,” he said.
He also cited the case of a woman who needed an emergency operation after being referred to a private hospital in the early hours of the morning.
According to him, the procedure cost about ₦380,000, but the woman did not pay for the surgery because she was enrolled in a health insurance scheme. “The only money the family spent was about ₦80,000 for drugs they purchased,” Chinwuko said.
