Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has been adjudged as doing well, especially in the health sector.
A board member of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and Rivers State Chairman of Joint Health Sector Unions(JOHESU), Mr. Otaraku Oye made the declaration in a goodwill at the opening of a two-day workshop for the review of the RIVCHPP benefit package and referral management handbook on Monday, 24th November 2025, in Port Harcourt .
The State Chairman of JOHESU said that health workers throughout the Federation are on strike, but Rivers JOHESU did not join the strike because of how well the state government is doing in the health sector.
In her welcome remarks, the Executive Secretary of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme, RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Rolegherighan Agala said that the essence of the workshop is to look at the benefit package of the health insurance agency, review it, and come up with a handbook which will enlighten service providers and beneficiaries of RIVCHPP’s packages.
Dr. Agala lauded health professionals for the work they do, even as she urged them to bring their expertise into churning out a document that will guide service providers, improve health service delivery and also enable enrollees to know the services they are entitled to at every level of care.
Dr. Agala commended the Governor of Rivers State and the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh for the initiative to enrol healthworkers as a welfare package while appreciating the RIVCHPP board for their guidance in implementing the directive, stating that this document will be critical for access to care by healthcare providers.
Giving an overview and the objectives of the workshop, the Head of Health Services Department of RIVCHPP, Dr. Barinem Dimkpa said that the meeting is a critical step towards strengthening RIVCHPP’s service delivery that will foster efficiency, transparency, and accountability across the healthplans that service providers give to RIVCHPP enrollees, and to align RIVCHPP’s operations with National and international standards.
Dr. Dimkpa also informed that the health insurance agency anticipates drawing up harmonised and clearly defined health benefits packages, a comprehensive diagnostic and referral management reference handbook devoid of inconsistency in defining primary and secondary services.
The Health Services Departmental head of RIVCHPP also stated that the outcome of the meeting will engender collaboration among RIVCHPP management and service providers, especially as a standardised list of primary and secondary care under RIVCHPP will be drawn up.
Dr. Dimkpa also informed that the diagnostic list that will be drawn up will help to minimise ambiguity, as it will streamline a referral management system for a fee for service/capitation, among others.
In his goodwill will message the state lead of Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Dr. Simene Sangha, who congratulated RIVCHPP for the bold initiative, pledged the continual support of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAIa) towards providing technical support for RIVCHPP to enable them to improve on their core mandate.
On his part, the National President of the Association of Public Health Physicians, Dr. Tarfa Kene, who expressed his excitement with what RIVCHPP is doing in health insurance, assured that with the calibre of participants at the meeting, he was sure that the outcome will serve as a working document to be emulated by other states of the Federation.
The workshop, which was facilitated by Prof. Omosivie Maduka of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital witnessed goodwill messages, presentations, and breakout sessions for group work.
