The O.A. Initiative team visited Dr. Filani Oyebanji, the Honourable Commissioner for Health in Ekiti State, as part of the events planned for Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. The group which was led by the Advocacy Team Lead Asiwaju Oladimeji, took advantage of the occasion to share the data analysis of the free medical care enrollment of Sickle Cell Warrior under the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme (EKHIS), which began on May 3, 2023. hello
Asiwaju Oladimeji, presented the analysis, highlighting the fact that out of the 587 Sickle Cell Warriors who have registered on the O.A. Initiative database, 435 have completed the entire enrollment process, and some of these beneficiaries have already begun receiving free medical care in the state. The data also reveals that Ado, Ikere, Irepodun/Ifelodun, and Ikole LGAs have the greatest enrollment numbers.
The data also showed some of the findings and difficulties faced by Ekiti's sickle cell warriors. These issues include stigma and discrimination, poor blood storage infrastructure in general hospitals, inadequate health care facilities for sickle cell disease patients, inadequate publicity and awareness, inadequate genotype test sensitization, inadequate information and awareness on sickle cell disease in Ekiti State, absence of a health insurance programme, inadequate health care facilities for sickle cell disease patients, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
In response to the above difficulties, the team of O.A. Initiative submitted the following recommendations to the Honourable Commissioner; Proposed Bill on Prevention and Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease in Ekiti State, Stakeholders engagement on awareness and sensitization. These Stakeholders include, Ministry of Health, Office of the First Lady, Ministry of Education, Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Traditional Institutions, Religious Bodies, Media, Human Right Commission and other relevant stakeholders, Massive and compulsory free genotype test, Improved health insurance programmes, free medical assistance, and subsidized medical care for Sickle Cell Warriors in Ekiti State's most critical cases, Establishment of a fully functional, sustainable blood bank and blood transfusion system in each of Ekiti State's 16 LGAs, the need to review the entire free health care process in Ekiti State most especially from primary to secondary facilities, Digitization of free health care process, and lastly establishment of Sickle Cell Referral Centre.
During his remarks, the Honourable Commissioner graciously approved the extension of the enrolment of Sickle Cell Warriors for Free Medical Care in Ekiti under the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme. He also gave the EKHIS the go-ahead to incorporate the O.A. Initiative into some of the community engagements in order to raise awareness of SCD and, more importantly, genotype compatibility. Additionally, Dr. Filani pledged to look into some of the chanllenges indicated above in relation to the problem of blood banks and blood refrigerators throughout the state's general hospitals and to address the process of accessing free healthcare by the most vulnerable citizens in the state.
