Kaduna LG boss pledges health cover for 500

The Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area, Muhuyideen Abdullahi-Umar, has pledged to enroll 500 vulnerable individuals into the Kaduna State Contributory Health Scheme.The announcement was made on Wednesday during a sensitisation meeting on informal sector enrollment, held at the local government headquarters in Kagarko.

The meeting was attended by the Director General of the State Contributory Health Management Authority, Abubakar Hassan.

Abdullahi-Umar said the initiative aimed to complement the state’s recent efforts in upgrading Primary Health Centres by ensuring that vulnerable individuals in local communities benefited from improved healthcare services.

“As you are aware, the state witnessed a total upgrade of primary health centres, and we are here to complement that effort by enrolling the most vulnerable persons within our communities,” he said.

He emphasised that health was expensive and many people could not afford basic services.

“To bridge this gap, the local government will sponsor the enrollment of 200 individuals, the Chairman himself will fund 100 slots, while the Vice Chairman will cover 200 more.

“The Vice Chairman is allocating 100 of those slots to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and 100 to the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).”

Abdullahi-Umar added that the initiative would take immediate effect and was being led by the Vice Chairman.

Looking ahead, he announced plans to register 3,000 people next year, backed by a N30 million budget, which he said would be included in the next fiscal cycle.

“When we came into office, the budget was already set, but next year, we hope to allocate N30 million to enable the enrollment of 3,000 persons,” he explained.

He stated that the overall goal was to provide free healthcare access and protect vulnerable populations from health-related poverty and financial risks.

“These initiatives are being carried out to improve healthcare access and reduce financial burdens on vulnerable populations.

“The commitment of the local government authority to these programmes is a positive step toward achieving universal healthcare coverage,” he said.

Abdullahi-Umar urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity and access the services provided.

“We cannot invest in this and then have people not come forward. They should get enrolled and use the package,” he appealed.

He also called on individuals and other stakeholders to emulate the effort by sponsoring more vulnerable persons into the scheme.

Earlier in his remarks, Director General of the Health Authority, Abubakar Hassan, commended the Chairman and council authorities for their leadership.

He described health insurance as a vital tool for bridging the gap between vulnerability and security, exclusion and inclusion, despair and dignity.

Hassan explained that the Contributory Health Management Authority was responsible for implementing and managing the state’s health insurance scheme, with the goal of ensuring that all residents had access to affordable and quality healthcare.

He also encouraged the chairman to ensure that intending couples registered under the scheme before marriage to save on future healthcare costs.

The Director General appreciated religious and traditional leaders for their continued support in mobilising residents and promoting healthcare awareness in their communities. .(NAN)