FCTA Enrolls 198,810 Residents in Health Insurance Scheme, Sets Sights on Ending Maternal Mortality

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) has successfully enrolled 198,810 residents in the past year, including 10,065 pregnant women who were registered at no cost. This marks a significant step towards expanding access to healthcare for the FCT population.

In a statement on Tuesday, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Public Communications and Social Media, revealed that since the Wike-led administration took office, there has been a remarkable surge in FHIS enrolment, surpassing the annual target of enrolling 25,000 people by over 40%. The increased enrollment is seen as a major success in the administration’s efforts to enhance healthcare access.

The FCTA has placed a particular focus on tackling maternal and infant mortality, particularly deaths resulting from preventable causes. According to Olayinka, “Of the 198,810 residents enrolled, 10,065 vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, received free registration. This grants them access to all services covered under the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) through the Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres.”

The services available to enrollees include primary preventive care, screenings, emergency services, as well as secondary care such as dental, mental health, eye, ear, nose, and throat services, physiotherapy, surgeries, laboratory tests, and radiological investigations like ultrasound and X-rays.

Olayinka also urged residents to take advantage of the ongoing free registration for vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, which began in February this year. He emphasized that all pregnant women who enroll through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) at PHC Centres across the six FCT Area Councils will continue to receive free health education, consultations, treatments, antenatal drugs, lab tests, and deliveries.

In addition, the FCTA is covering referral services for secondary care, including caesarean sections, blood transfusions, and treatments for other obstetric complications, at no cost to the patient at any of the 14 General Hospitals in the FCT.

Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, highlighted the government’s commitment during the World Health Day event at Gwarinpa District Hospital. “The FCTA, under the leadership of Barrister Nyesom Wike, has intensified efforts to combat maternal and infant deaths,” Fasawe said. “As part of these efforts, the government has approved free health insurance coverage for all pregnant women in the FCT, ensuring that childbirth-related expenses, including both vaginal and cesarean deliveries, are fully covered.”

Fasawe also noted that several hospitals in the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEONC) centers. These hospitals will offer cesarean sections free of charge, further reinforcing the FCTA’s zero-tolerance stance on maternal and infant mortality.

This initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to ensure improved healthcare and reduce preventable deaths.