On Friday, the Bayelsa House of Assembly initiated an investigation into the operations of the Ministry of Health, the Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) and its service providers following allegations of inefficiency.
The Assembly expressed concern that the BHIS, established in July 2013 as a social security program by the state government, was experiencing subpar performance and the distribution of counterfeit drugs to beneficiaries.
During the legislative session, the members unanimously passed a resolution to establish an ad hoc committee tasked with probing the activities of the BHIS.
In the motion of urgent Public Importance, Hon. Daniel Charles (Brass Constituency 1) informed the House that the BHIS was designed by the state government, where health care services of enrollees are paid for from the common pool of funds contributed by the beneficiaries.
Charles alleged that even though both the beneficiaries and other contributors like the state government were doing their best to ensure the efficiency of the scheme, the service providers were grossly underperforming.
He also informed the House that apart from failing to provide the necessary care needed by beneficiaries of the scheme; service providers usually dismiss some of them.
He argued that they were not qualified to be provided with secondary and tertiary treatments that included minor surgical procedures.
Hon. Tare Porri (Ekeremor 1), Hon. Douglas Sampson-Awudulu (Nembe 3), Hon. Oyinke Godbless (Sagbama 1) and Hon Ebizi Rosemary (Sagbama 3) also spoke in support of the motion.
They confirmed that some of their constituents had been victims of the activities of these service providers who dispense inferior drugs to beneficiaries not minding the health implications.
In their separate contributions, Hon. Ben Victor Selekaiye (Southern Ijaw 4), Hon. Living Mitin (Ekeremor 2) and Rt. Hon. Monday-Bubou Edwin Obolo (Southern Ijaw 2) agreed that the scheme was initiated with the best of intentions for the health needs of the people.
They, however, said that allowing the service providers to continue the way they were going would amount to erasing all the gains of the programme.
They, nevertheless, added that service providers would be within their bounds to express their fears and the challenges they have been facing.
“So that if there is the need for an upward review of what they get from the government for each beneficiary, the issues can be looked into,” they said.
The members of the Adhoc Committee are Hon. Charles Daniel, Chairman, Rt Hon. Monday-Bubou Edwin Obolo, Hon.George-Braah Oteigbanyo, Hon. (Dr) Oyinke Godbless and Hon. Cockeye Brown Ebizi Rosemary
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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