In a decisive step towards strengthening the healthcare delivery system in Edo State, the Director General of the Edo State Health Insurance Commission (EDOHIC), Dr Mrs Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo, has organised a one-day high-impact training session titled ‘Empowering Quality Care and Best Practices for Health Service Providers’.

The training was held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOPSA) on Friday in Benin. It was joined virtually by participants in Edo North and Central districts who convened at Ekpoma and Auchi, respectively. The training brought together a broad spectrum of healthcare services providers, public health workers, and administrators across the state.

In her keynote address, Dr Ikpea-Enaholo emphasised the urgent need to reposition the state’s healthcare system by placing a stronger focus on patient-centred care, clinical excellence, and ethical responsibility in line with the outlined SOP, and reinforcing EDOHIC emergency response policy so that no enrollee is ever denied urgent care due to administrative constraints.

She highlighted the state government’s commitment to continuous professional development, adding that the training was timely and aligned with Governor Monday Okpebholo’s SHINE agenda for improving the health sector through capacity building, infrastructure development, and technology integration, empowering frontline healthcare workers to deliver services with compassion, competence, and accountability.

She said, “Our goal is to build a resilient healthcare system where quality is the standard and best practices are embedded in every layer of service delivery to achieve Universal Health coverage.”

She added that the goal was to enhance the knowledge base and ethical standards, and to acquaint participants with the revised Standard Operating Procedures and the professional competencies of health service providers, in alignment with global best practices and the Edo State Government’s ongoing healthcare reforms.

The one-day training, which featured distinguished Chief Medical Officers across the state, included interactive sessions led by experienced facilitators and health experts covering critical topics such as Strategic direction under Governor Okpebholo’s administration, a comprehensive package benefits review, Efficient Claims Management, and Effective communication, among others.

Speaking at the event, Director of Health Services and Standards Department of EDOHIC, Dr Osayuki Edosa-Iyayi, emphasised that the sustainability of any healthcare system depends on the strength and efficiency of its providers, highlighting the growth of the number of facilities under the EDOHIC scheme.

She noted that since 2022, over 276,300 Edo residents have received care under EDOHIC’s insurance programme, with 1,011 surgeries performed since 2023 and 474 Deliveries since 2021, across the three Senatorial districts in the state.

Participants, who took part in interactive sessions and shared their insights on system challenges, commended EDOHIC for the insightful and transformative nature of the training, describing it as both empowering and professionally enriching.

Many expressed a renewed sense of commitment to raising the bar in healthcare service delivery and pledged to uphold excellence and patient dignity in every aspect.

This landmark initiative, led by the DG of EDOHIC, reinforces Governor Okpebholo’s administration’s commitment to institutionalising quality, ethics, and universal health access for all Edo residents. It marks another milestone in Edo State Health Insurance Commission’s journey toward institutionalising excellence in healthcare.