The Bayelsa House of Assembly on Friday commenced probe of activities of the Ministry of Health, Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) and its Service Providers.

According to the members of the State Assembly, the BHIS, which was inaugurated in July, 2013 as a Social Security Programme designed by the state government, is witnessing lacklustre performance and issuance of fake drugs to beneficiaries.

At the legislative session, the members passed a one-point resolution to set up ad-hoc committee to investigate 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 said in spite of the fact that both the beneficiaries and other contributors like the state government are doing their best to ensure the efficiency of the scheme, the service providers are grossly under-performing.

Charles 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, arguing that they are not qualified to be provided with secondary and tertiary treatments that include minor surgical procedures.

Also speaking in support of the motion, Hon. Tare Porri (Ekeremor 1), Hon. Douglas Sampson-Awudulu (Nembe 3), Hon. Oyinke Godbless (Sagbama 1) and Hon Ebizi Rosemary (Sagbama 3) confirmed that some of their constituents have 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, and that allowing the service providers to continue the way they are going will amount to erasing all the gains of the programme.

They, however, added that service providers will 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.

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, Hon. Cockeye Brown Ebizi Rosemary, while the Secretary of the House Committee on Health will serve as the Clerk of the Committee.

The Committeee is expected to report back to the House in three weeks.

Update news