Thousands of vulnerable residents across Ebonyi State have accessed free surgeries and essential medical treatment through the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA), providing relief to families previously unable to afford quality healthcare.
The intervention has benefited indigent patients living with conditions including hypertension, diabetes, eye disorders, hernia, fibroids, appendicitis, sickle cell disease and pregnancy-related complications, with many receiving treatment at no cost under the state’s health insurance programme.
For several beneficiaries, the initiative ended years of suffering caused by financial hardship, as the cost of many surgical procedures ranged from ₦300,000 to over ₦1 million—amounts beyond the reach of many low-income households.
The programme covered Caesarean sections, eye surgeries, hernia repairs, fibroid removal, appendectomies and other specialist treatments at accredited healthcare facilities, including Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Mile Four Hospital, general hospitals, private hospitals and primary healthcare centres across Ebonyi State.
Executive Secretary of EBSHIA, Divine Okemefuna Igwe, disclosed that more than 31,000 pregnant women have been enrolled in the scheme, while over 28,000 women have successfully delivered their babies free of charge through the programme.
According to him, the agency has also provided more than 478,000 healthcare services, significantly reducing the financial burden associated with accessing medical care and helping improve maternal and child health outcomes across the state.
He noted that the initiative has contributed to lowering maternal and infant mortality rates, particularly in rural communities, while encouraging more residents to enrol in the insurance scheme.
One beneficiary, Amaka Nwojiji, recounted how she underwent a free Caesarean section after prolonged labour threatened both her life and that of her baby.
She said doctors had informed her family that the surgery would cost about ₦300,000, an amount her husband, a farmer, could not afford. However, having enrolled in the health insurance scheme during antenatal care, she received the operation without paying the medical bills.
Another beneficiary, Rose Ogadu from Ohaukwu, said she battled fibroids and infertility for 12 years before learning about the health insurance programme.
She explained that after medical examinations confirmed the condition, she was enrolled in the scheme and successfully underwent surgery in Abakaliki. She later conceived and gave birth to a baby boy.
Similarly, Steven Nwonu Aja-Eze from Okposi said his four-year-old son received free hernia surgery in 2024 through the programme, saving his family between ₦200,000 and ₦300,000 in medical expenses.
Also sharing his experience, Augustine Ikechukwu Eneke, a traditional ruler from Abaomege, said EBSHIA-funded eye surgery restored his sight after years of impaired vision.
He called on community leaders, politicians and philanthropists to support the enrolment of more vulnerable residents, noting that access to health insurance could save countless lives across Ebonyi communities.
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