The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) has kickstarted the distribution of health insurance identity cards, reaching over 8,168 enrollees across the state.
This initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), signifies a significant step towards enhancing healthcare accessibility and reducing maternal and child mortality in Kaduna State.
The distribution ceremony, inaugurated at the Unguwan Dosa Primary Health Care (PHC) in Kaduna on Friday, witnessed the Director-General of KADCHMA, Malam Abubakar Hassan, expressing the authority’s commitment to promoting the health and wellbeing of women, children, and all residents of Kaduna.
Hassan emphasized that maternal and child mortality should not be associated with Kaduna state, praising the government’s dedication to the health of its people.
The significance
- The State Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, highlighted the goal of achieving universal health coverage, where everyone in the state can access qualitative healthcare services without facing financial hardships.
- Ahmed explained that the contributory health insurance scheme aimed to enrol vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children, persons with disabilities, and women with specific needs.
- The commissioner underscored the importance of the initiative in response to the high infant mortality and morbidity rates. To ensure accessibility, the existing 255 Primary Health Care centres spread across every ward in the state will serve as access points for essential health services.
- Addressing the affordability aspect of the health insurance scheme, Ahmed justified its emergence, citing poverty as a driving factor. She announced the government’s plan to start by enrolling 20,000 vulnerable individuals, prioritizing those with higher healthcare needs.
Alhaji Jibril Mohammed, the District Head of Kawo in Kaduna North Local Government Area, commended the state government for the initiative, emphasizing its potential to enable healthcare seekers, especially women, to access prompt and quality services within their locality.
Mohammed urged pregnant women to prioritize antenatal care and emphasized the importance of delivering in medical facilities.
Mr. Funsho Lewu of CHAI expressed the health insurance scheme as a beacon of hope and a commitment to the well-being of every person in Kaduna State.
As the distribution of identity cards commenced, Lewu stated that it symbolized the keys to a healthier future and the unlocking of quality healthcare for every citizen in the state.
Beneficiaries, including pregnant women Hauwa’u Musa and Hafsat Ibrahim, expressed gratitude to the Kaduna State Government for enrolling them in the scheme.
They pledged to judiciously use their identity cards for the betterment of their health and the health of their unborn babies. The initiative reflects a collective effort to ensure that health remains a fundamental human right accessible to all residents of Kaduna State.
