The Acting Executive Secretary, of Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency (NASHIA), Dr. Simon Istifanus, said 188, 300 residents have currently enrolled on the health insurance scheme and are benefiting from healthcare services from various medical facilities across the state.Nationa Health
The Acting Executive Secretary disclosed this at an engagement to update journalists on the successes and challenges facing the agency on Friday in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
He added that the beneficiaries were registered under different packages such as public sector, informal sector, vulnerable and students among others.
He said since the programme was inaugurated in 2019, a lot of the enrollees have benefited from medical services with little challenges which they are working to address.
He also used the medium to call on healthcare providers to be professional in their conduct and give their enrollees the desired services in order to increase the confidence of the people in the insurance scheme.
The Executive Secretary also lauded Gov. Abdullahi Sule for the support to the agency to achieve the feat it has achieved so far.
He also commended spirited individuals who adopted and paid for indigent people in their communities and called on others to emulate them.
He therefore assured that the agency would continue to strive hard towards achieving universal health coverage.
He also added that the agency is working seriously to include travellers in the scheme to ensure that they get healthcare services in case of accident and other emergencies.
He maintained that the travellers would be required to pay 10 additional per cent to their transport fear for medical services which would be built in the money for the transport fear.
“It is not yet part of our laws, but we are working seriously to amend the laws establishing the agency to capture travellers who are not our enrollees to enable them access service in case of any emergency,” he added.
On his part, Pharm. Kaki Maikudi, Director of Health Services of the agency lauded the media for giving publicity to the activities of the agency and appealed that they should do more so that the information would get to all residents of the state.
He added that currently only six per cent of the residents of the state were captured in the scheme and expressed optimism that with the collaboration of the media, the enrollment would improve.
The Director also appealed to politicians especially members of the state and national assembly to pay for enrollment fees for the people of their constituencies as part of the constituency project.
Also speaking, Dr Gaza Gwamna, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health commended the agency for the good work they have been doing and the successes archived so far.
Represented by Dr Damina John, the commissioner disclosed that the state government was committed to achieving universal health coverage by making health accessible and affordable to all citizens.
In his goodwill message, Salihu Mohammed-Alkali, Chairman, of the Nigeria Union of Journalists lauded the agency for the engagement and promised that journalists were willing to do more partnership.
The workshop which had in attendance journalists from print, electronic and new media, future questions and answers.
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