Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has approved the free enrollment of inmates from the Ilesa and Ile-Ife Correctional Centres into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS).
The Executive Secretary of the Osun Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Rasaq Akindele, announced this at a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday.
Akindele explained that the approval followed a request by the State Controller of Corrections, Dr. Rotimi Olalekan, who had appealed for government support to meet the health needs of inmates.
He noted that the governor had earlier approved free enrollment for pensioners, a gesture that enabled over 26,000 beneficiaries to access comprehensive healthcare services.
Dr Akindele added that people with disabilities had also benefited through free enrollment and life-support devices, while more than 450,000 public school students were screened for visual impairments, with 43,000 provided with corrective glasses.
The OSHIA Boss said the enrollment of inmates was necessary because they are residents of Osun who would eventually reintegrate into society.
He urged the inmates to reciprocate the gesture by adhering to the rules and regulations of their centres.
Also speaking, the State Controller of Corrections, Dr. Rotimi Olalekan, confirmed that 1,100 inmates in both the Ilesa and Ile-Ife Custodial Centres are eligible for the programme.
He commended the state government’s intervention, describing it as a step that would significantly improve inmates’ access to healthcare.