Bayelsa Assembly probes state’s health insurance scheme

The Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Friday commenced a probe into the activities of the Ministry of Health, the state’s Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS), and its Service Providers over alleged inefficiency.

The Assembly alleged that the BHIS, inaugurated in July 2013 as a social security programme designed by the state government has been recording lackluster performance and issuing fake drugs to beneficiaries.

At the plenary in Yenagoa, the lawmakers resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of the BHIS.

In a motion of urgent Public Importance, the lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1, Daniel Charles, informed the House that the BHIS was designed by the state government to provide healthcare services for the people of the state.

Charles lamented that the service providers were underperforming despite efforts by the government to ensure the efficiency of the scheme.

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Four other lawmakers – Tare Porri (Ekeremor 1), Douglas Sampson-Awudulu (Nembe 3), Oyinke Godbless (Sagbama 1), and Ebizi Rosemary (Sagbama 3) agreed with their colleague on the matter.

The ad hoc committee is headed by Charles Daniel while Monday-Bubou Edwin Obolo, George-Braah Oteigbanyo, Oyinke Godbless and Cockeye Brown Ebizi Rosemary are members.

The Secretary of the House Committee on Health will serve as the clerk of the committee.

The committee is expected to report back to the House in three weeks.

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