MONROVIA – Many deaths in Liberia could have been prevented if only the country was well equipped with the infrastructure, equipment and expertise needed to salvage some medical conditions.
As a result, high-ranking officials of government and other big fishes who have the financial means are often evacuated from the country or travel to foreign countries for medical attention.
Two notable medical evacuations recently by the government of Liberia cost US$150,000 each. That was the case of Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor and former Minister of Public Works, the late Mobutu Vlah Nyepan.
With such exorbitant amount, for most Liberians, remaining in Liberia to die of an ailment that could be cured outside becomes the sorrowful option.
But Activa Insurance Company has taken a daring step to salvage the situation. First of its kind in Liberia where an insurance company would provide Medical Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation program with all cost – from departure to hospitalization, treatment, medication and return – all covered under the scheme.
“Our ultimate goal is to make this scheme accessible and affordable,” managing director and chief executive officer of the Activa International Insurance Company Liberia, Cllr. Saye D. Gbalazeh.
The scheme provides up to US$350,000 worth of service under the evacuation.
The scheme was introduced recently by Cllr. Gbalazeh, who saw the need to provide solution and ease the stress people go through in raising funds to send relatives abroad for advanced medical attention.
“We introduced this product after receiving many requests for such coverage from our customers who either wanted or needed to travel within or internationally,” said Prof. Gbalazeh who is also a professor of insurance law.
He added, “We at Activa Insurance Company are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and enable them to purchase coverage in a simple, fast, and convenient way. We also have a moral responsibility to give back to society under the corporate social responsibility theory.”
The medical evacuation scheme is a compliment to Activa’s health insurance program already being provided to clients.
How the Program Works
The minimum requirement for qualification for the scheme is that aspiring beneficiaries must consist of a group of not less than 10 persons to subscribe. They are required to pay an amount not exceeding US$500 each.
Each applicant in the each would then be required to make a monthly payment of US$250.00 which automatically qualifies them for up to US$350,000 per qualifying event.
The benefits come with air ambulance or commercial medical escort flight, expenses at receiving hospital and doctor’s expenses, medication and drugs, hotel accommodation for a travel companion, hotel accommodation post-discharge awaiting home and commercial flight home post.
In order for a client to benefit from the scheme, the need for evacuation must be the last resort recommended by a medical practitioner. This mean, the client must have been admitted at a medical facility attended to by medical doctors.
The selection of the medical facility abroad is the prerogative of the insurance company.
The scheme is, however, not a search and rescue mission and that clients or patients cannot select their own hospital under any health emergency.
About Activa International Insurance Company
Activa International Insurance Group is a Pan-African insurer authorized by the Central Bank of Liberia to write both Life and General business.
Activa is the originator of the Globus Network.
The Globus Network, which is the largest of its kind in Africa, is a grouping of 49 well-positioned and dynamic insurance companies in 49 Africa counties which enables multinational and global clients to enjoy expert and word-class insurance services and coverage with geographical presence across Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone Africa. Globus offers tailor-made wording and quotations on a harmonized basis across the continent.
The ACTIVA Group created by Africans in 1998 out of the desire to build company operating in borderless Africa in accordance to international standards. Over the twenty years, our group has become one of the leading insurance group in Sub-Saharan Africa. We offer a full range of life and non-life insurance products and serve our clients according to values that define our identity. We have established ourselves as a leader in innovation in markets we operate in. Over the next three years, our ambition is to consolidate our organic growth while remaining open to potential opportunities.
Customer Value Proposition
- Activa provides international client service backed by the best international financial securities i.e. Munich Re, Lloyd’s, Africa Re, Swiss Re, among others.
- Activa are a core member of the Globus Network which is present in over Forty (40) African countries and we offer our clients dedicated access to quality and reliable insurance services across Forty (40) African countries.
- Provide customized innovative client solutions based on benchmark insurance under-writing knowledge and specialized skills.
- Our service is delivered by modern, dynamic, knowledgeable and efficient management teams backed by the state of the art information technology (IT) systems.