The Administrator of Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State, Dr. Gloria Obe Dibiah, has registered 2000 people into the Rivers Contributory State Health Insurance Scheme.
Addressing journalists at the end of the exercise held on Thursday 21st August, 2025 at Ogali, Eleme LGA headquarters, Dr. Dibiah said her administration accorded priority to the well-being and healthy leaving of Eleme people, hence their registration into the Scheme.
Her words: “Being in this position now, I felt this is an opportunity, no matter how short the time, to see how I can bring this scheme to the people of Eleme.
“I lived in a society where health was number one above all things. It doesn’t matter if you have money. In fact I worked in that system in the USA, they call it public assistance for the people who don’t have job, or have anybody to take care of them healthwise. Infact that got me interested about the scheme”.
She said her administration registered 2000 people and enrolled 100 as the pilot project of the Health Insurance Scheme in Eleme local government area.
“We registered 2000 people, and we are using 100 persons to flag off the scheme today. You know this doesn’t happen because local government election is coming up. In Eleme now we are loosing a lot of young people. I decided no matter how little we shall be part of the scheme”.
And for the Health Insurance Scheme to continue now her tenure is elapsing she said: “In terms of continuity of the scheme; right now I am actually writing my hand over note and this will be one of the key things I shall put in there to let the next person to know we have already initiated the scheme, and the most he can do is to continue with it. It’s Eleme local government money, it is not an individual money and should be able solve the needs of the people. If its to go for an errand for the scheme to continue am ready to do that”.
Complimenting the efforts of Eleme LGA Administrator, the Executive Secretary of Rivers State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Vetty Agala, expressed delight on the visionary leadership of Dr. Dibiah and charged her to see the sustainability of the programme as an executive order to enhance its continuity.
According to her, “It’s how you started that is how you finish. It’s the giant stride that the administrator has taken. To register 2000 person into the health insurance scheme is big deal.
“Commencing with 100 person is good enough and making sure it’s an executive order or something that ensures continuity.
“We want our people to be healthy, health care is so expensive if you leave it to the people they suffer unnecessarily and some people even die because they cannot afford the cost. So we are very excited with the exercise, particularly as it would bring health to the people of Eleme”.
Dr. Alexander Woko, Rivers State medical officer for health, Eleme Local Government Area spoke on the essence, the quality treatments and administration of drugs for the Health Insurance Scheme, and the need for people to embrace the scheme.
“This programme is going to alivate the borden of the people in terms of healthcare very much, because those that are already enrolled in the scheme are enjoying it, from the point of addmition and the point of discharge from the hospital are all free”.
“The quality of the Health Insurance Scheme services is top-notch. Medicare does not discriminate the rich and the poor. What the Doctors talk about is the illnesses and the patient has. The drug that will be used to treat the rich is what will used to treat the poor. Our treatments are standard and our drugs are procured by the state central medical store, our treatment is standardized” Dr. Woke averred.
Some of the beneficiary that spoke to the Summitnews eulogized the genuine and people oriented leadership of Dr. Gloria Obe Dibiah since her assumption as the administrator of Eleme local government area
“Mr. Osazo Ekee Ngiate from Aleto Eleme one of the beneficiary of the scheme said “This scheme is the first of its kind and is the best. I am very happy and I pray the next chairman will emulate from this woman and sustain it. Our people are going to benefit from the scheme, because of you observe the economic condition of this country many people don’t have money to pay for medical care especially those who have anything they are doing.
I say a big thank you to the Administrator she is trying this is the first of its kind in Eleme local government area”
Gloria Onwijimafia Obe, from Alesa Eleme said “This has never happened before in Eleme local government area. It’s a new development. We thank God for Administrator, she has shown that she is a mother she is caring everybody. The programme is going to benefit me as person, when I am enrolled into the scheme anytime I am sick I will go to health center and take medica care free, if it’s beyond health center they will refer to higher one and get treatment free. It is a nice programme that is going to help a lot of families and we wish that subsequent government should continue from where she stopped”.
The event witnessed large turnout of the elderly people, pregnant women and children residents of Eleme local government area in Rivers state.
