In a bold move to expand access to quality healthcare, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has sponsored a one-year free health insurance scheme for 500 constituents across the five local government areas of Cross River North Senatorial District.
At the cheque presentation ceremony held yesterday at the General Hospital, Ogoja, Senator Jarigbe Agom represented by Esther Ellah, CEO of Dazzle Empowerment Initiative urged beneficiaries to make full use of the program.
He stressed the importance of proper identification to ensure smooth access to healthcare services, while cautioning against actions that could threaten the scheme’s sustainability.
The initiative, tagged #JariCare Health Insurance, aims to break political barriers and place the well-being of the people above partisan interests, offering crucial medical support to those in need.
“This is more than politics, it’s about saving lives,” the Senator remarked. “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Our goal is to create a system where people don’t have to choose between their health and their finances.”
Senator Jarigbe emphasized that this is only the first phase of a larger humanitarian drive to improve healthcare access across the region, calling on other leaders and philanthropists to follow suit.
He said with the Health Insurance Agency swiftly mobilizing enrollment teams, beneficiaries are already being onboarded, ensuring the program’s immediate impact.
Receiving the cheque on behalf of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, the Director General, Chief Godwin Iyala, praised Senator Jarigbe’s commitment to healthcare.
He highlighted that the initiative aligns with Governor Bassey Otu’s ‘People First’ agenda and assured strict monitoring to guarantee transparency and effective use of funds.
Dr. Ugbe Christopher, Medical Superintendent of General Hospital, Ogoja, described the program as a “game-changer,” pledging the medical community’s full support in providing top-notch care for beneficiaries.
Joseph Odey, a retired civil servant and one of the beneficiaries, expressed heartfelt gratitude: “This is a huge relief, especially in these tough economic times.”