The Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr. Vetty Agala, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that residents of the state do not become poorer while seeking quality healthcare services.
Dr. Agala gave the assurance in her goodwill message at the launch of the dental and physiotherapy units at Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Port Harcourt, on Monday, August 18, 2025. She congratulated the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board for what she described as a “remarkable milestone” in the state’s health sector.
She noted that RIVCHPP would leverage its collaborations with the Hospitals Management Board and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to expand healthcare coverage for enrollees across all general hospitals in the state, including Kelsey Harrison Hospital.
“With the launch of the new units, Kelsey Harrison Hospital has become a one-stop shop for RIVCHPP enrollees who may be referred here for specialized care,” Dr. Agala stated.
She also announced that pensioners had been enrolled into the RIVCHPP scheme, adding that by September, they would begin to access healthcare services across the 23 local government areas of the state. She expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Government for issuing the executive order mandating the enrolment of the formal sector and retirees.
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In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the Rivers State Administrator on Health, Professor Chituru Orlunwene, commended the Chief Medical Director of the Hospitals Management Board for his leadership, describing the new units as evidence of capacity and dexterity in health sector management.
He noted that the development aligned with the administration’s priority of strengthening critical areas in the state’s healthcare system.
Prof. Orlunwene also lamented the moribund state of the referral system in the health sector but described the launch as a revitalized and reinvigorated approach to addressing the gaps.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Dr. Bright Ogbonda, explained that the hospital decided to expand its units and provide solar-powered lighting to improve service delivery and meet the urgent health needs of Rivers people.
