PHOTO: Activa Insurance officials pose for photo following the launch
By William Selmah, wselmah@gmail.com
Activa International Insurance – Liberia today, Wednesday launched an Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Program in Monrovia meant to help cater to life threatening situations, resulting either from accident or health emergencies.
The scheme, which is brainchild of the Chief Executive Officer of Activa (Liberia Limited) Professor Saye D. Gbalazeh, also seeks to provide solutions to the strains and stress people endure in raising money in a timely manner to evacuate relatives or people to second country for medical attention.
“Our ultimate goal is to make this scheme accessible and affordable,” Prof. Gbalazeh said at a news conference on November 18, 2020 marking the launch of Medical Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation program at the company’s Sinkor office.
Giving an in-depth explanation of the program, he said a minimum requirement for qualification for the scheme is that aspiring beneficiaries must consist of a group of at least ten persons to subscribe. They are required to pay an amount not exceeding USD500 per applicant.
That will be followed by a copayment of USD 250.00 per person per year. “This automatically qualifies you for up to USD 350,000 per qualifying event”, Prof. Gbalazeh told journalists.
Cover includes air ambulance or commercial medical escort flight, expenses at receiving hospital and doctor’s expenses.
Others include “medication and drugs, hotel accommodation for travel companion, hotel accommodation post discharge awaiting home and commercial flight home post”, according to Activa (Liberia Limited) CEO.
Prof. Gbalazeh also used the occasion to further clarify that the scheme should in no way be seen as a search and rescue mission and that clients or patients cannot select their own hospital under any health emergency.
According to him, a prerequisite for successful subscribers in dire medical needs is that they must first be at a medical facility being attended to by doctors.
The Activa insurance executive explained that any determination on referral to any health post in or out of the country must be made by the client’s doctors in concert with those of Activa.
There is no exact replica of the nature of health emergency evacuation and repatriation scheme they are beginning to run in Liberia owing to its accessibility and affordability. The lower age limit for qualification is from 14 days to 65 years, according to Prof. Gbalazeh.
He also used the occasion to explain that while the essence of any business venture is profit-making, their vision is not limited to accruing money.
The Activa official added, “We also have a moral responsibility to give back to society” under the corporate social responsibility theory.