By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
The Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC) on Tuesday held a strategic stakeholder engagement with civil servants in Asaba, aimed at sensitizing them on new policy reforms and improving service delivery under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme (DSCHS).
The interactive session, which drew a large turnout of public servants and labour representatives, was designed to deepen awareness of the scheme’s recent innovations, including mechanisms to ensure civil servants receive the healthcare they deserve without compromise.
Speaking shortly after the engagement, the Director General of the Commission, Olorogun Dr. Isaac Akpoveta, emphasized that the forum is part of a broader, statewide sensitization campaign aligned with the MORE Agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
“We are re-sensitizing the entire system — from doctors and nurses to field officers and accountants. Everyone must understand the new rules and their role in safeguarding civil servants’ access to quality healthcare,” Dr. Akpoveta said.
He described civil servants as critical stakeholders whose welfare must be protected, stressing that regular updates and direct engagement are necessary to strengthen trust and transparency.
“Today’s session was about informing civil servants on how the scheme has been redirected to better protect their interests,” the DG noted. “We want them to know their rights, demand their rights, and be confident that the Commission is working for them.”
Dr. Akpoveta disclosed that significant innovations have been introduced to improve monitoring and accountability. These include the deployment of seven quality monitors across hospitals and pharmacies to ensure that beneficiaries receive prescribed medications without delay or compromise.
“We now have monitors who ensure prescriptions are fully dispensed. Civil servants are also being educated on what is covered under the scheme so they are not misled into paying for services that should be free,” he said.
In cases where enrollees are wrongly charged, he encouraged them to submit receipts for refund, warning that any provider found guilty of extortion will be penalized.
He cited a recent case where a hospital charged N450,000 for a cesarean section under the scheme. The hospital was ordered to refund the money and fined N100,000. “If they repeat such behavior, we will remove them from the scheme,” he warned.
While government hospitals cannot be delisted, erring staff can be disciplined. “We’ve taken up such cases with the Ministry of Health, and medical directors or doctors involved will be appropriately sanctioned,” he added.
According to the DG, the Commission has begun identifying fraud in the system, including the discovery of some civil servants who had left the country but continued to receive healthcare payments.
“We found workers who have traveled abroad yet continued collecting money from the government. These names have been struck out, and they will refund the money,” he revealed.
To improve attendance tracking, the Commission now relies on real-time evidence. “If you visit a hospital, it must reflect in our system through time-stamped messages and valid prescriptions. No more ghost claims,” Akpoveta stated.
The engagement was met with widespread commendation from civil servants and labour leaders, many of whom acknowledged visible improvements in service delivery and transparency.
“Our enrollees are now receiving up to 80% of their prescribed drugs, compared to less than 50% in the past. Labour leaders themselves have testified to this progress,” Dr. Akpoveta noted proudly.
He assured that the stakeholder engagements will continue quarterly to maintain open communication, address grievances, and ensure that civil servants — whose regular contributions and government counterpart funding sustain the scheme — receive top-quality healthcare services.
“The civil servants are the lifeblood of this scheme. They deserve the best, and we are determined to ensure that,” he concluded.