The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr. Vetty Agala has urged residents of the state to help spread the messages of the health insurance agency at their disposal to neighbours and other residents of the state.
Dr. Agala, represented by the Head of Planning of RIVCHPP, Dr. Juliet Aleme made the call at the Palace of the Eze-elect of Oyigbo, Eze Samuel N Azuh in Oyigbo Town, on Wednesday, 25th March 2026, during a sensitisation/ enrolment engagement meeting.
The Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP said that by spreading the messages of the health insurance agency, more and more residents of the state would not only become aware of the laudable programme that Governor Siminialayi Fubara hold so dear for the good of the people of the state, but more persons would then enrol and benefit from the programme.
Dr. Agala reiterated that RIVCHPP is a health insurance scheme for all residents of the 23 local government areas of the state to enrol into, so as to get quality healthcare services, where and when needed, without suffering financial hardship at the point of the healthcare needs .
The Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP then enjoined all the people of Oyigbo, and the state at large, to enrol with RIVCHPP for seamless and quality healthcare service delivery, saying that the federal and state governments have paid for a section of the population that the government terms as vulnerable persons.
Responding on behalf of the people of Oyigbo, Eze Samuel N Azuh, the Eze Oha 111 of Oyigbo, thanked Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and Pamo University for bringing the health outreach and sensitisation to the people of Oyigbo, commending the government for making the programme functional.
Eze Azuh, who assured that his people would embrace the opportunity to be part of the health insurance scheme, pleaded that the scope of the vulnerability be expanded to accommodate more citizens.
The paramount rulers also pleaded with the State health insurance agency to include eye related ailments and surgeries that it would cater to.
Earlier in her remarks, the Head, Community Medicine, Pamo University, Iriebe, Dr. Chidinma Opara said that the institutions, 600 level medical students research findings revealed that there was a low awareness of RIVCHPP programmes, and poor utilisation of primary health centres in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
Dr. Opara then stated that realising how beneficial the programmes of RIVCHPP are to the people of the state, especially the vulnerable, her institution decided to collaborate with RIVCHPP to create more awareness in the area, so that the people of the area can also benefit from RIVCHPP’s packages.
Part of the activities of the collaboration was a facility visit to Pamo University Teaching Hospital, for an on the spot assessment of facilities in the hospital.
Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the management of Pamo University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, have started talks on onboarding the health facility to provide services for RIVCHPP’s enrollees.
Idanye Oruigoni
Head, Information/Public Relations Unit,
RIVCHPP.
26/03/2026.
