The Kaduna State Government has pegged the annual contribution for its health insurance scheme at N10,650, allowing residents to access healthcare services for 12 months.
The Head of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA), Sa’idu Bala, disclosed this during an awareness campaign targeting informal sector workers in Kaduna on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was organised in partnership with Manaal Specialist Hospital, Kawo, alongside the inauguration of a KADCHMA information and enrolment office at the facility.
Bala explained that the N10,650 annual payment was heavily subsidised by the government to make healthcare affordable and shield households from excessive medical expenses.
He encouraged traders, artisans and other self-employed residents to register for the programme, stressing that it would provide access to essential medical services at a reduced cost.
According to him, the campaign had already recorded some success, as more than 10 participants completed their registration and made payments immediately after the sensitisation exercise.
He also revealed that a philanthropist from the Kawo community had paid for 50 vulnerable residents to benefit from free healthcare under the scheme for one year.
Bala identified four categories of beneficiaries under the programme: formal sector employees, informal sector workers, vulnerable persons and other eligible participants.
He explained that the vulnerable group comprised individuals who lacked the financial means to pay for their medical needs.
The KADCHMA official described health insurance as an important tool for achieving Universal Health Coverage, noting that it also protects families from the financial burden associated with medical treatment.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Medical Director of Manaal Specialist Hospital, Dr Ishaq Muhammad, said the newly inaugurated office would make registration and other health insurance services more accessible to residents.
Muhammad explained that the facility would eliminate the need for residents to travel to the Ministry of Health to register for the scheme.
He added that the office would operate as a KADCHMA branch, providing information, registration and enrolment services, particularly for people working in the informal sector.
The hospital chief assured prospective enrollees that the facility was equipped to provide the necessary medical services covered by the programme.
He urged residents to utilise the opportunity to secure affordable healthcare for themselves and their families.
Also speaking, KADCHMA’s Head of Marketing and Business Development, Hajiya Hannatu Abubakar-Ladan, said the campaign was aimed at increasing public awareness of the scheme and its benefits.
She explained that the exercise would educate residents on eligibility conditions, registration procedures and the healthcare services available to enrollees.
Ladan said the authority was also seeking to bring more informal sector groups, including traders, artisans, transport workers, market associations, cooperative societies and small business owners, into the programme.
She listed the opening of the information and enrolment office as another major objective of the campaign.
One of the beneficiaries, A’isha Muhammad, said she had accessed several medical services through the scheme, including scans, blood pressure checks and treatment for malaria and typhoid fever.
She added that the programme also covered antenatal services for pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the Head of Administration and Finance of KADCHMA, Malam Sulaiman Mustapha, commended participants and stakeholders for supporting the initiative.
