Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Cross River State Government has officially relaunched the formal sector of its state health insurance scheme, making enrolment compulsory for every public and civil servant in the state in a decisive move to deepen Universal Health Coverage and ensure that no worker is left without access to affordable healthcare. The directive, which came into effect on Thursday, September 3, 2026, marks a significant escalation in the government's efforts to strengthen the welfare of its workforce and reduce the financial burden of medical treatment on employees and their families.
Speaking at the relaunch ceremony held at the Office of the Head of Service, New Secretariat Complex, Calabar, the Director-General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), Dr Godwin Iyala, described the scheme as a structured intervention designed to make healthcare accessible, affordable, and qualitative for workers and their dependents. According to Iyala, the programme operates through a monthly deduction of N1,000 from the salaries of enrolled civil servants, a contribution that grants them and their families access to a network of accredited healthcare providers across the state. "Let me start by commending the Head of Service who has shown and demonstrated a very special interest to ensure that we succeed in our onerous task of bringing not just the civil servants or public servants of Cross River State onto the scheme, but all residents of the state," Iyala said.
The Director-General clarified that while the N1,000 monthly deduction is the financial engine of the scheme, workers are only considered active participants after completing registration, biometric capture, and empanelment to a health facility. Empanelment, he explained, simply means allocating a beneficiary to a specific health facility where they will receive care using their health insurance card. Iyala disclosed that only 17,000 civil servants are currently enrolled in the scheme, out of more than twice that number in the state's public service, and urged those yet to register to take advantage of new enrolment points established at the Head of Service's office, the Ministry of Health in the Old Secretariat, and the agency's office along the Marian axis in Calabar.
In a move that adds significant teeth to the compulsory directive, the Head of Service, Hon. Orok Bassey Okon, announced that proof of enrolment would now be a prerequisite for accessing key government services. "Going forward, if you come to Civil Service Commission for Promotion Interview, you have to show your health insurance enrollment card. If you come to Head of Service to stamp loan form, you have to show your health insurance enrollment card. You cannot access facility in the bank if you are not enrolled. If you don't have your enrollment card, don't go to look for promotion implementation," Bassey declared. The Head of Service stressed that a healthy workforce is fundamental to an effective and productive public service, and that the government's investment in the health and welfare of civil servants should be reciprocated through active participation in the programme. He further disclosed that the provision of a dedicated desk office for CRSHIA within his office was deliberate, aimed at bringing the enrolment process closer to civil servants and making it easier for officers to access information, register, and resolve issues relating to the scheme.
The relaunch follows a renewed collaboration between CRSHIA and the Office of the Head of Service to ensure full enrolment of civil servants across the state. The initiative is part of a broader effort by Governor Bassey Otu's administration to advance Universal Health Coverage and improve the welfare of the state's workforce. The scheme's coverage extends beyond the individual worker to include spouses and children under the age of 18, ensuring that entire families benefit from the protection offered by the health insurance programme.
The government also highlighted the scheme's tangible impact through real-life testimonials. Dr David Oshie, Senior Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Universal Health Coverage, recounted how a director in the civil service received free treatment at the General Hospital in Calabar after the agency intervened. "Many of our people have benefited from this scheme. There was a Director in the State civil service who received free treatment at General Hospital in Calabar when we intervened. From that moment till days before he was discharged, he didn't pay one naira extra," Oshie said. He also disclosed that Cross River was recognised by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025 as the first state with a functional Universal Health Coverage Coordination Center.
The State Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Stanley Effa, who attended the event, described health insurance as a sustainable pathway to quality medical care and commended the Cross River State Government for the initiative. Effa noted that the scheme would help reduce the financial burden associated with medical treatment and unexpected medical expenses while providing access to healthcare through accredited providers. The event was attended by civil and public servants, health stakeholders including Dr Egbe Ayuk, Elder Ita Ekeng, Elder Ibiang, Mr Raymond Abugieye, and Mrs Aje Ayuk, among others.
The relaunch of the compulsory health insurance scheme comes as part of Governor Bassey Otu's broader push to expand health coverage across the state. In a related development, the governor and his wife, Dr Eyoanwan Otu, have enrolled 600 aged persons for two years, while the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, has enrolled 1,000 vulnerable persons in Ogoja Local Government Area. These gestures underscore the administration's commitment to extending health protection beyond the formal sector to the most vulnerable members of society.
For civil servants in Cross River State, the message from the government is unambiguous: enrolment in the health insurance scheme is no longer optional. With the Head of Service's directive tying promotion, loan access, and other key services to proof of enrolment, the pressure to comply is immediate and significant. The government has made it clear that a healthy workforce is not just a benefit but a prerequisite for a productive public service. As the Head of Service aptly put it, "A healthy workforce is fundamental to an effective and productive public service". The relaunch of the scheme is a bold step towards ensuring that every civil servant in Cross River State has access to quality healthcare without the fear of financial ruin. The question now is whether the workers will embrace the opportunity or resist the compulsion. For the government, the answer is clear: the card is the key, and without it, the doors to promotion and loans will remain firmly shut.
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