Uche Ewelike: Sanitizing Imo public healthcare system
In Imo state now, people no longer die because they can't afford the cost of medical services. Those who die because of cost of medical services are either uninformed or they don't believe that the financial healthcare risk scheme of the Agency is real.
It is the birthday of Dr Uche Ewelike , the Executive Secretary of Imo State Health Insurance Agency. Ewelike, a doctoral degree holder in Health economics has in two and half years on the saddle brought sanity in health care services in the state. His innovations, zeal and zest to totally with clear cut intentional upgrade the state’s public healthcare system are unprecedented.
Ewelike, before his secondment to the Agency from the Federal military of Health, Imo state Health Insurance Agency was a dead place. Nobody knew or heard about it. The primary reason for the establishment of agency was in non-existent. The health needs of the people of the state from the agency was not attended to.
But immediately a round peg in a round hole was appointed in the person of Dr Ewelike, a senior public health practitioner and doctorate degree holder in Health economics, the hitherto moribund agency was revitalized and rearing to provide health needs of the people at cost free basis.
The Agency jacked back to life and before you could say hi, the Agency started living up to the principels for which it was established. Ewelike’s secondment is simply a succinct examplification of when opportunity meets capacity results/ deliveries are inevitable.
As of April 2025, Imo State Health Insurance Agency under Ewelike has successfully delivered 19 normal deliveries, 167 primary eyecare services, 1, 127, diabetes managed cases, 1, 214, respiratory tract infection treated, 2, 623 referral surgeries, 1,468 hypertension cases managed, 313 gastroenteritis treated, 313, antenatal care, 110 ear, nose and throat infection treated, 4,278 malaria cases treated and 14, 751 total utilization and 4, 246 other medical care services to the people and residents of the state under financial health risk insurance scheme of the agency where each person is required to make an annual subscription of N15, 000 to enjoy quality healthcare services in any facility of your choice with you required to pay only ten percent of the total medical bills.
In Basic Health Care provision Fund scheme of the Agency, the cost of the medical care both in delivery and drugs are 100 percent free of charge. This is the healthcare scheme of the Agency that takes into cognizance vulnerable people. Women, men and children who are financially incapacitated. The agency takes care of their medical care services completely free of charge in hospitals of their choices. This is absolutely amazing.
Under this scheme, the Agency under Ewelike, has completed 408, 989 hospital visitations, 273, 849 malaria cases treated, 2, 318 normal deliveries, 34, 781 immunization carried out, 33, 420 antenatal care, 13, 684 gastroenteritis treated, 106, 705 hypertension cases managed, 2,321 referral surgeries, 74, 433 respiratory tract infection treated, 52, 476 diabetic cases managed. The Agency in two years and five months has only lost 24 adult patients and two maternal cases.
This is the kind of life Ewelike has brought into the healthcare delivery system of Imo state. Just imagine thousands of people who would have died if Ewelike was not brought on board to rewrite the wrongs in the state’s health care delivery system.
In Imo state now, people no longer die because they can’t afford the cost of medical services. Those who die because of cost of medical services are either uninformed or they don’t believe that the financial healthcare risk scheme of the Agency is real.
Now, expectant mothers walk into medical facilities in Imo state, delivery their babies and go home without paying a dime. This is for women who give birth to their children through natural processes and procedural processes.
This is me, on behalf of our organization, Stand For Humanity Foundation, wish Dr Ewelike, a happy birthday anniversary celebration. Praying that God gives you more wisdom and enablement to keep sanitizing the state’s public healthcare system for the healthcare benefits of the people of Imo state and its residents.
Congratulations ezigbo nwa Mbano ji eme onu.
Okeoma, is a journalist and founder, Stand For Humanity Foundation. He wrote from Owerri, the state capital.
