The Anambra State Health Insurance Agency has urged healthcare providers under the scheme to improve the quality of care given to enrollees and avoid delays in attending to patients.
The agency’s Managing Director, Augustine Ezeka, made the call on Tuesday in Awka during a meeting with the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of the 117 accredited healthcare facilities in the state.
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Mr Ezeka, a medical doctor, said that good customer service would improve confidence in the scheme and expand access to quality healthcare.
He said the meeting was convened to strengthen collaboration between them and the agency, improve service delivery and address concerns raised by enrollees.
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He identified poor customer care and some providers’ failure to adhere to approved tariffs as major complaints from enrollees.
According to Mr Ezeka, the quality of the patient experience in healthcare facilities is critical to the scheme’s success and the attainment of universal health coverage in the state.
“We recognise that there are challenges in the system, but through collaboration, we can overcome them.
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“Health insurance is the way to go, and that is why it is compulsory in many developed countries, and we need to replicate the same in Anambra to ensure residents have access to quality healthcare without financial hardship,” he said.
Mr Ezeka urged healthcare providers to align with Governor Charles Soludo’s vision by ensuring prompt, high-quality healthcare services for enrollees.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare and expanding health insurance coverage across the state.
In a presentation, a health finance specialist, Alfred Ebiakafo, emphasised the need for healthcare providers to improve customer relations.
Mr Ebiakafo said that patients often sought medical care, even while facing financial and emotional pressures.
“Good customer care will attract more people to your facility, increase capitation and ultimately support the growth and development of hospitals,” he said.
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He also said the scheme was beneficial to patients, healthcare providers and the government, and called on the agency to strengthen the monitoring of accredited facilities to ensure quality service delivery.
Some healthcare providers in attendance expressed concern over patients, who always insisted on specific medications and treatment options, often threatening to seek care elsewhere when their demands were not met.
They also called on the agency to establish a health bank and approve drug suppliers to improve access to quality medications and strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
(NAN)
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