30,000 households enroll for Nasarawa Health Insurance Scheme

By Collins Sunday – Lafia

In a bid to ensure adequate healthcare delivery in Nasarawa, the state government has began sensitisation on the need for residents to enroll in the state’s health insurance scheme.

Dr Gaza Gwamna, Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency (NASHIA) on Thursday in Lafia said that a total of 30,000 residents have so far been enrolled in the scheme.

Speaking at a one-day stakeholders meeting with Journalists, Gwamna explained that it was important for residents of the state to key into the health insurance scheme in order to enjoy quality healthcare.

READ : Edwin Clark tells Ijaw youths to give NDDC interim administrator a chance

“The aim of the agency is to protect families from financial hardship of huge medical bills. It is also to ensure reduction of healthcare cost among different income groups and ensure efficiency in healthcare services.

“Civil Servants under the State and Local Government pay roll, Private Individuals and Corporate organizations can partake in the health insurance scheme.

Advertisement.

“For Civil Servants and other corporate organizations, Three percent of their basic salaries will be taken on a monthly basis while their employers pays Seven percent to make it a total of Ten percent.

“Enrollees will be given the opportunity to choose the hospital they would like to visit whenever they fall ill, private or public healthcare facilities.” Dr Gwamna said.

Also speaking at the workshop, State Commissioner for Health, Pharm. Ahmed Yahaya said that the government has put in place necessary machinery to ensure the success of the programme.

Pharm. Yahaya noted that the government will do everything possible to ensure that the common masses in the state key into the scheme in order for them to be able to access the needed quality and affordable healthcare without pain.

RELATED STORY: COVID-19: Don’t shut down hospitals, CMD of DASH begs doctors in Nasarawa

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Comrade Dogo Shammah who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Justina Angbazo appealed to Journalists to help in sensitising the public on the need to part of the scheme.

“I am appealing to journalists to help us carry the information across the state, especially to those in the rural areas who do not have access to some basis amenities”, he said.

The Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency was established in 2018 but took off in 2019. It came to be by an act of the House of Assembly and was signed into law by former Governor Tanko Al-makura.