Uche Ewelike as the Executive Secretary of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency is a round peg in a round hole.

Since his appointment, the Mbano born foreign trained health economist has repositioned the health institute and set it on the part of excellence.

Under his watch, people’s numerous health challenges are attended to with the highest level of professionalism at a small or no cost.

Thousands of rural and urban women have successfully been delivered of babies at no cost. Cases that could have cost fortunes had been handled at no cost by the agency. Cesarean cases handled at no cost.

With just N15,000, you have got yourself covered by the Agency under its health insurance scheme program for an annum.

The Agency also has a scheme that guarantees absolute but quality healthcare delivery service for vulnerable people in the state for a period of a year.

This is me thanking Dr Ewelike and his team for what they are doing at Imo state Health Insurance Agency.

The Federal Government through Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare has reiterated its commitment to reducing maternal and newborn mortality, emphasizing the urgent significance of retraining of frontline health workers.

Speaking in a Radio Nigeria Network news programme today; Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako stated that the theme for this year’s Commemoration of World Health Day “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” aligns perfectly with the manifesto agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

Dr. Salako said the commitment of the government to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths in the country is receiving urgent attention.

“And to achieve that, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative was developed as a mechanism to ensure that universal health coverage is achieved.

We are able to save lives. We are able to prevent physical and financial pains”, he added.

Elaborating on some of the maternal and new born initiatives of the Ministry, the Minister highlighted the critical importance of training and retraining of health workers. There is a target to train at least 120,000 frontline workers, he stated. About 50 percent of them have already been trained.

“If you look at one of the key deliverables of the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare within the Presidential Priorities is to ensure that by 2027, we reduce maternal mortality by at least 20 percent and reduce infant mortality by at least 15 percent.

In order to ensure we do that, the professional delivering the service must be well trained”, Dr. Salako further emphasized.

Taking capacity building a notch higher, the Minister pointed out that a practitioner must show evidence of continued professional development on annual basis; besides renewal of practising licence.

Speaking on ensuring equitable access to maternal and newborn care across the country, Dr. Salako informed Nigerians that the present administration is intentional on expansion and development of primary healthcare centres.

He further said: ” We are developing such initiatives like MAMI (Maternal & Neo-Natal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative) which is specifically targeting high-budget local government with respect to maternal mortality rates.

So you will see that with all this put together, we are taking maternal and child healthcare closer to the people at the grassroots.”

A coalition of Abia State health unions comprising National Association of Nigerian Nurses and midwives, Medical and Health Union of Nigeria and Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals has written a letter to Governor Alex Otti about their plans to withdraw services over alleged non-payment of the reviewed Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).

In a letter that emanated from their office in Umuahia, signed by their respective leaders, Ngozi Duke, Offor Solomon and Oparaocha Chibueze, the health workers said they have issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Abia State government to address the CONHESS issues or face strike.

The coalition of Abia health unions, who said it had started mobilizing and sensitizing members across the State to embark on the strike, lamented that the State government did not respond to their previous 21 days ultimatum until it expired on March 26, 2025.
According to the health workers, the demands contained in the previous 21-day ultimatum were not addressed by the State government, as no government official formally engaged them in discussion on the unpaid consolidated salary structure.

They claimed that the members of various health unions under the coalition had been thrown into financial hardship, warning that the situation could undermine their well-being and also affect the quality of healthcare services in Abia State.
“The coalition of Abia health union is compelled to invoke Section 41 of Trade Dispute Act Cap T8, laws of the Federation of Nigeria to issue 15 days notice of withdrawal of services if our demand is not reasonable addressed”, the statement said.
According to them, the letter, which was dated March 27, 2025, was received at the Government House, Umuahia, on March 28, 2025.