By Emmanuel Awari, Jalingo
The Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency has enrolled over 138,000 beneficiaries, including children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, into the state’s health insurance scheme.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Pharm. Jacobs Akenzukpi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Jalingo.
He said the Agency is responsible for providing free healthcare to the poor and vulnerable.
On sensitisation about the Agency, he said:
“We have been creating awareness through social media, print, radio, television and local media. People welcome us and are happy with the activities of the Agency. Churches and mosques are among those we sensitised.
“We have enrolled 138,000 beneficiaries under the Basic Healthcare Provision, targeting the vulnerable. We are second in the North East in terms of healthcare provision.”
He said the provision is being done in collaboration with the state and federal governments. “As I speak to you now, the process is ongoing.”
Pharm. Akenzukpi specified that the requirements to be a beneficiary include the poor, children under five years, pregnant women and people living with disabilities. Others are the mentally challenged and displaced people as a result of crises.
“About 78% of people in Taraba State are classified as poor, according to North East statistics. In the North West, the statistic is 80%. We are saying that most of our people are poor, so those are the people who should benefit from the programme.”
According to him, Taraba State has set an ambitious target to increase health insurance coverage to at least 70% of the state’s population by 2030, as stakeholders intensify efforts to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Executive Secretary appreciated the Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, for supporting the Agency financially and giving approval for the implementation of the formal sector programme that addresses civil servants.
“It is expected that all civil servants in the state should enrol in the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency, where small deductions will be made from their salaries for the provision of health insurance from primary to tertiary levels, as the case may be,” he said.
According to him, the state has over 30,000 civil servants, apart from those at the local government level, who will be enrolled in the programme, including their wives and children.
“We are targeting 80,000 beneficiaries under the programme. We have enrolled more than 500 students of the College of Nursing Science, and we are discussing with Taraba State University, where we are targeting over 20,000 to enrol under a health insurance scheme called the Tertiary Health Insurance Programme.”
On challenges, the Executive Secretary pointed out that the major challenge is the communication gap between the Agency and beneficiaries, but efforts are ongoing.
“Most people are not aware of what is happening, so we take awareness to all nooks and crannies. Some want it in their local languages,” he stated.
During a courtesy visit to the Chief Medical Director of the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Wukari, Prof. Ayuba Dauda Madachi, and the hospital management, the Agency sought a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening healthcare service delivery for enrollees across Wukari and its environs, especially for referrals.
He highlighted the presence of its enrollees across the ten political wards in Wukari, where primary healthcare centres currently provide basic healthcare services. However, cases requiring advanced medical attention, such as surgeries, hypertension, diabetes and other specialised treatments, often require referral services to secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities beyond the capacity of primary healthcare centres.
Recognising the importance of accessible and quality healthcare, the Agency proposed a collaboration that would enable enrollees to access secondary and tertiary healthcare services at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari.
Prof. Ayuba Dauda Madachi and the hospital management warmly welcomed the initiative and expressed their willingness to partner with the Agency. Principal staff members from the hospital’s Health Insurance Department also participated in discussions on the modalities and necessary preparations towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This partnership, when finalised, will further ensure that residents can conveniently access quality healthcare services within their locality without the need to travel long distances for advanced medical care.
The Executive Secretary said that during a working visit to the College of Nursing and Midwifery, he strengthened collaboration on students’ health insurance and assessed healthcare service delivery within the institution, discussing students’ enrolment, clinic accreditation, funding challenges and ways to improve access to quality healthcare.
The Agency reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the College and engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the programme and improved healthcare services for students.
He announced plans to enrol staff of the Taraba State Environmental Sanitation Agency (TSESA) into the state’s health insurance scheme as part of efforts to expand access to quality healthcare.
Akenzukpi commended the Agency for its dedication to maintaining a clean and healthy environment across Taraba State, describing its workforce as critical to public health and deserving of adequate healthcare coverage.
He explained that the health insurance package provides access to healthcare services beyond the primary level, extending to secondary and tertiary health facilities to ensure comprehensive medical care for beneficiaries.
According to him, the Agency has already enrolled more than 138,000 beneficiaries across health facilities located in all wards of the state. He noted that the planned enrolment of TSESA staff aligns with Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas’ commitment to improving access to affordable and quality healthcare for all residents of Taraba State.
Responding, the Chairman of the Taraba State Environmental Sanitation Agency, Illiya Kefas Alhaji, welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation to the health insurance Agency for extending the programme to the Agency’s workforce.
He assured the Executive Secretary of the Agency’s full cooperation to ensure a seamless enrolment process for all eligible staff.
The Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency (TSCHIA) has begun the enrolment of children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups into the state’s health insurance scheme at the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHCC), Sabon Gari, in a move aimed at expanding access to free and quality healthcare services across the state.