The Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) has registered a total number of 113,424 public servants within the past two years it has been in operation.

The Executive Secretary of BHIS, Dr. Zuoboemi Agadah, stated this at the opening of a four-day symposium and training on new trends in health insurance in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Agadah said the scheme was running at a profit and currently has N1.8 billion under its management which comprised equity contribution from Bayelsa Government and deductions from enrollees.

He disclosed that so far, the fund had earned a profit of N260 million adding that having consolidated on the public sector participation, the next phase of growth was the private sector.

The Executive Secretary said that the scheme had commenced the enrolment of private sector beneficiaries as a means of achieving universal health insurance coverage.

He said the BHIS law makes health insurance mandatory for all residents.

Agadah said that at least 274,631 hospital visits had been recorded by beneficiaries in the public sector of the scheme.

He said that more than 1,771 successful surgeries were carried out while 48,885 secondary clinical cases were treated within the past two years.

He said that the success of the scheme was responsible for the drop in the maternal mortality rate in the state, the lowest in the South-South region, adding that the scheme had improved the health-seeking habits of the people.

The Executive Director, United Healthcare, the Health Management Organisation (HMO) of the scheme, Dr. Kazeem Mustapha, said that it was already a success and had enhanced the health index of Bayelsa.

Mustapha urged the BHIS management to consolidate on the gains from the public service sector by focusing on the private sector.

About 800 representatives of medial service providers under the scheme, members of BHIS board and workers unions are participating in the four-day event.