The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule says civil servants can now access healthcare services in any medical facilities in the state following the official presentation of the State’s Health Insurance Scheme identity cards (ID) to them.
Governor Sule who was represented by his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, made the disclosure in Lafia at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia (DASH) during the presentation of the ID cards to civil servants in the state.
According to him, the leaders of the organised labour had rejected the inclusion of the formal sector in the scheme in 2018 citing none implementation of their promotions as the reason.
He however said that it is now history as their demands were since made and enrolment of workers had begun.
Sule used the medium and expressed gratitude to the Organised labour for its understanding and support to ensure the success of the programme.
“The programme in the state can not be complete and successful without the formal sector.
“Based on the records available, Nasarawa State is one of the leading states in the country as far as universal health coverage is concerned.
“We have already started contributing 0.5 per cent of our consolidated revenue into the basic healthcare provision fund.
“The Federal Government had in the last quota contributed over N500 million in the basic healthcare provision fund for Nasarawa State and we have so far contributed over N145 million into the fund.”
The Governor, therefore, said that the government had concluded an arrangement to commence the payment of its seven per cent contribution to all its employees to complement the three deductions from the civil servants.
The Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Gaza Gwamna, said that the enrolment into the scheme had started on December 12, 2019, with the Governor and his deputy.
He explained that the programme had suffered setbacks due to refusal by labour to be part of it even though the informal sector were captured at that time.
Dr Gwamna added that with the acceptance by the leaders of the Organised labour to be included, already over 5,000 workers and their dependents were enrolled and can begin accessing healthcare services from Friday, March 11 2022.
The Executive Secretary added that under the formal sector, the agency was targeting to enroll about 100, 000 beneficiaries in the next one or two months.
According to him, DASH and all the general hospitals in the state including primary healthcare centres in the 147 electoral wards of the state as well as private medical facilities are ready to attend to those under the scheme.
“After receiving your cards today, civil servants, public servants and political appointees can begin to access healthcare services in any facility across the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state,” Dr Gwamna added.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia (DASH), Dr Ikrama Hassan, lauded Governor Sule for the initiative.
He explained that the insurance scheme would go a long way to tackle challenges that were hitherto leading to health complications and even die because of lack of money to access healthcare.
Dr Hassan, therefore, assured the public that DASH was ready to attend the all those who chose the facility.
In his Goodwill message, Chairman, Nasarawa State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Yusuf Iya, commended the governor for the initiative aimed at improving the condition of people.
He said that the Organised labour in the state would support the government to ensure the success of the programme.
PIAK
