By Inyang Inyang, Calabar
The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has enrolled 1,666 vulnerable persons into the Cross River State Health Insurance Scheme, with a warning against diverting benefits away from genuinely eligible persons.
Related: FG approves ₦40.76bn health fund, extends insurance to 90,000 inmates
Key Highlights
- SSDC enrolled 1,666 vulnerable Cross River residents into the state Health Insurance Scheme.
- Beneficiaries include women, children and elderly persons, with focus on underserved and riverine communities.
- Enrollees will access healthcare at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
- SSDC MD Usoro Akpabio warned against duplicate registrations and diversion of slots.
- Health Commissioner Dr. Henry Ayuk pledged monitoring and accountability.
The beneficiaries, comprising women, children and elderly persons, were selected from vulnerable populations across Cross River State, with particular attention to residents of underserved and riverine communities who often face financial and geographical barriers to healthcare.
The beneficiaries would enjoy access to healthcare services at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
SSDC warns against duplicate registrations
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, represented by the Executive Director, Human Capital Development and Social Services, Preye Aganaba, said the programme is designed to remove financial barriers preventing vulnerable persons from accessing essential healthcare services.
She explained that the intervention aligns with the mandate given to the commission by President Bola Tinubu to advance human capital development across the South-South region, in line with the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025.
Ms. Akpabio charged the implementation teams to ensure transparency, proper verification and equitable distribution of the 1,666 enrolment slots, warning against duplicate registrations.
She noted that the cost of healthcare and geographical barriers often compel families in riverine communities to delay seeking medical attention, stressing that access to quality healthcare remained fundamental to human and economic development.
Cross River government pledges accountability
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, expressed appreciation to the SSDC for the initiative, describing the intervention as a significant boost to expand access to affordable healthcare, particularly for underserved communities.
Dr. Ayuk assured that the state government would ensure effective monitoring and accountability to guarantee that beneficiaries derive the intended benefits from the programme.
Read also:
- Cross River Landslide: SSDC Begins Disaster Assessment Mission, Akpabio Sympathises With Victims
- FG Approves ₦40.76bn Health Fund, Extends Insurance To 90,000 Inmates
- EFCC Chairman Warns South-South Development Commission Officials Against Looting Public Funds
He also pledged that resources committed to the scheme would be judiciously utilised.
Highlights of the ceremony included the live enrolment of beneficiaries, presentation of health insurance cards and unveiling of the partnership banner between the SSDC and the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency.
For more health and South-South news, follow us on X.
