Chukwu Obinna 
Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori
DELTA, Nigeria – The Delta State Government announces that it will begin enforcing sanctions from January 2026 against health workers who collect money from pregnant women and children under five in state-owned hospitals.
The move aims to fully implement the state’s free maternal and child healthcare policy, according to the Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Isaac Akpoveta.
Speaking Tuesday in Asaba, Akpoveta says the policy guarantees free treatment for pregnant women from conception to delivery, including caesarean sections, as well as healthcare for children below five years. “The policy is designed to stop unauthorised charges and ensure access to care for vulnerable groups,” he says.
Akpoveta reveals that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori directs regular training for doctors and officers in charge of public health facilities to ensure full compliance.
He adds that the government releases over ₦3.5 billion for the scheme in 2025 and introduces ICT-based monitoring systems to strengthen accountability.
Enrolment in the Delta State Health Insurance Scheme, he says, rises from 1.3 million in 2017 to over 2.7 million by December 2025, supported by more than 350 registration agents statewide.
Facilities that comply with the policy will receive incentives, while offenders will face sanctions from 2026.
One participant, Ifeoma Ekpo, an officer in charge of a primary healthcare centre in Ika North, pledges compliance. “We will no longer demand payment from pregnant women, young children or insured patients,” she says.
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