No fewer than 100,000 residents of Nasarawa State comprising civil servants, orphans, and aged parents, among others have been enrolled in the state’s Health Insurance Scheme.
The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, made the disclosure at a town hall held to mark the International Universal Health Coverage Day in Lafia on Tuesday.
He explained that the 100,000 beneficiaries of the programme were funded by the Nasarawa State government and some private organisations.
He further stated that the enrollees, who have started receiving healthcare services from various medical facilities across the state, were registered under different packages such as public sector, informal sector, vulnerable, students, among others.
Gwamna called on healthcare providers to continue to be professional in their conduct by giving thier enrollees the desired services in order to increase the confidence of the people in the insurance scheme.
He lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for his constant support to the agency, which, according to him, has made it achieve great successes since 2019 when NASHIA began operation in the state.
While assuring that the agency would continue to strive hard towards achieving universal health coverage for all residents of the state, Gwamna commended individuals who adopted and paid for indigent people in their various communities, and called on others to emulate them.
On his part, the Deputy Governor of the state, Emmanuel Akabe, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Ahmed Yahaya, said healthcare services was one of the topmost priority of the government.
“The state government will continue to support the agency to succeed in its assignment. We are committed to ensuring good healthcare for residents that is why the governor recently directed that all casual workers in the health sector should be given permanent jobs,” Akabe added.
