UNICAL signs MoU with HMO on healthcare provision for students

The University of Calabar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Health Management Organisation (HMO), United Healthcare International Limited (UHCI), for the provision of healthcare services to its students.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Florence Obi, and the Managing Director of UHCI, Dr Kolawole Owoka, signed the agreement at the council chambers of the institution in Calabar on Wednesday.

Speaking, the vice-chancellor restated her administration’s commitment to revamping the institution’s health facilities to cater for the health needs of its staff and students.

Obi described the visit of the HMO as ‘timely and important,’ adding that it was in line with her administration’s resolve to provide adequate healthcare for the university community.

She commended UHCI for playing a pivotal role in healthcare delivery, especially as it had taken charge of the students’ tertiary insurance scheme in UNICAL with effect from the 2021/2022 academic session.

“It is a thing of joy to improve on an already deteriorated health structure. My administration is committed to revamping health facilities in the institution for effective service delivery,” she said.

The vice-chancellor called on the students to avail themselves of the opportunity by keying into the scheme, and assured UHCI of maximum support to enable it to live up to its expectations.

Obi added that with the introduction of the new health scheme, the UNICAL medical centre would be given a facelift and the drug store stocked with drugs.

Earlier, the Managing Director of UHCI, appreciated the vice-chancellor, saying that the health insurance scheme was already operational in 20 universities in the country.

Owoka said that the facility could be accessed by the students within 24 hours, in or out of campus, with the student’s identity card.

He emphasised that the era where drugs were out of stock would be history since the facility was planned, packaged and well programmed to accommodate students’ healthcare needs.

“The facility will not only be a health centre, but also a point of benefit in the area of development to the university in terms of corporate social responsibility,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director of Health Services in the institution, Dr Leku Ador, said the medical centre would join forces with UHCI to bridge the gap in the provision of adequate healthcare for students.