The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State branch, says it is ready to join the state health insurance policy to access quality medical care.
The pensioners took the decision on Thursday at a sensitisation programme on the policy for members in Ibadan.
Addressing journalists after the sensitisation, Dr Olusegun Abatan, the state NUP Secretary, said that pensioners were suffering, following which some had died due to their inability to access simple medical care.
“There was a year we had about 516 deaths among our members; during that time, we wrote to the government to do something about pensioners in the state.
“We thought it is right for pensioners to join the state health insurance policy base on its benefit.
“We have listened to the sensitisation and we have all agreed to join the scheme,” Abatan said.
He said that the policy would be of greater benefit to members of the union and end years of misery, despondency and anguish.
The chairman of the union said that the policy would help to elongate the lives of pensioners.
Earlier, Dr Olushola Akande, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA), said that the scheme had been on for about four years, but pensioners were not involved.
According to Akande, the scheme is now being subsidised for pensioners in the state and those earning less than N5,000 per month will enjoy free medical care.
”Those earning above N5,000 as pension per month will paid N4,000 per annum instead of N8,000 per annum,” he said.
The OYSHIA scribe said further that N1,000 would be deducted from their monthly pension for four months to make N4,000 a year.
According to him, the pensioners will have access to drugs, surgery, different medical tests and all levels of care.
In his remarks, the NUP Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Afolabi, commended Gov.Seyi Makinde, for prompt payment of the pension.
Afolabi said that this had helped to alleviate the sufferings of pensioners in the state.(NAN)
