More than 120 laptops and electronic tablets have been distributed to healthcare facilities across Akwa Ibom State to strengthen health data collection and management as the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency (AKSHIA) marks two years of operation.
The devices, comprising over 20 laptops and 100 tablets, were presented to primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across the state’s 31 Local Government Areas as part of activities marking the second anniversary of the state’s health insurance scheme.
The intervention is expected to improve the collection, collation and preservation of healthcare information, providing the agency and government with more reliable data for planning and decision-making.
The Statistician-General of Akwa Ibom State and Permanent Secretary, Human Capital Development, Uduak Isaac, stressed the importance of accurate and properly preserved data to effective healthcare planning, describing reliable statistics as critical to evidence-based decisions in the sector.
The presentation formed the major highlight of the anniversary celebration, which also provided an opportunity for the agency to review its progress since the scheme was launched on September 20, 2024, by Governor Umo Eno.
Chairman of AKSHIA, Dr Edikan Ekwere, said the agency would continue to focus on expanding health insurance coverage and improving access to quality and affordable healthcare for residents across the state.
Ekwere expressed appreciation to Governor Eno for the vision behind the scheme and for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the agency, while also commending the management, staff, healthcare providers and other stakeholders for their contributions to its development.
He said the agency’s two-year milestone represented another stage in the state’s effort to make healthcare more accessible by strengthening the insurance mechanism through which residents can obtain care.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Ekem Emmanuel, commended AKSHIA for the progress recorded since the commencement of the scheme and acknowledged Ekwere’s role in advancing the state’s health insurance agenda.
Emmanuel reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to expanding access to healthcare and urged healthcare workers to remain diligent in providing services to enrollees and other patients.
He also encouraged residents to take advantage of the benefits provided under the health insurance scheme, stressing the importance of wider participation in achieving the government’s healthcare objectives.
Executive Secretary of AKSHIA, Dr Igbemi Igbemi, said the agency had made progress in implementing the scheme and extending its benefits to more residents within its first two years.
Igbemi attributed the progress to the combined efforts of the agency’s leadership, management and staff, while pledging continued commitment to sustaining the scheme’s growth and strengthening collaboration with healthcare providers and other stakeholders.
The anniversary therefore ended with a renewed emphasis on expanding coverage, strengthening health facilities and using better data to guide healthcare decisions across Akwa Ibom State.
