By Gabriel Udeh Kaduna
A total of 400, 000 Kaduna residents have been enrolled into the Kaduna Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) scheme across the 23 Local Government Areas.
This was disclosed during a meeting titled: “Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (Perl) and Lafiya Programme Interaction with Kaduna State Accountability Mechanism (KADMAN) and KADCHMA on Strategies for Contributory Health Care Enrollment”, held in Kaduna.
The scheme was passed into law in 2018 by Kaduna State government to provide health care services to the residents in a very subsidised rate and qualitative manner. In an interview at the end of the meeting, Dr Juliana Dauda B. head operations department, KADCHMA said about 46,000 vulnerable people have also been enrolled into the scheme from across the 23 LGAs.
Dr Juliana Dauda explained that the passing into law of the scheme in 2018 led to the establishment of KADCHMA, with the mandate of delivering and operating the contributory health scheme itself.
“Right from the inception, since it was established, we’ve followed through on our key mandate and have been able to enrolled a total of over 400,000 currently released to the scheme from the former sectors, informal and vulnerable components of the population of Kaduna state.
“I can tell you that the state have over 250 healthcare providers both primary and secondary and public and private providing services for this scheme across the 23 LGAs.
“Currently every Ward in each LGAs of the state has at least one facility providing services for the enrollee which met service provision of equitable access for service provisions for citizens.
“Because one of the hinderances to qualify for access to services is availability of those facilities to the proximity close to where people are residing. So we’ve been able to identify this facilities and have been able to accredit them and certify them with the necessary tools to provide the service”, she said.
She therefore called on all residents of the state to availed themselves of the scheme for the huge benefits they stand to achieved.
“We’re calling for everybody, not only civil servants. It’s meant for residents of Kaduna state, civil servants from formal and informal Sectors privates, traders, artisans others, because they’re entitle for the scheme which provide a robust services in very subsidised way in a very qualitative manner, and sustained as well.
“The law state that it’s mandatory for everybody who residents in Kaduna state to key into the scheme. We’re still working on the enforcement strategy to key into it. We’re working with relevant agencies and organisations to enforce the law in the near future. Every kaduna civil servant has been registered. “People have been excited about the scheme but some have reservations about the scheme in terms of newness, people are skeptical in joining the scheme on a sustainability, the premium go by the economic status of most people.
“Because the premium for individual is N10, 650 per annum, and for the family plan family of 6 is N57,950per annum. So one of the challenge or the constraint to take up of this two by the informal sector is the premium himself.
“However we’re looking at how to create a flexible package that fit, to some extent, what individuals and families can afford so long as services will be reached for people coming into it .”Government, right from the inception committed itself to funding health care services for the vulnerable in the state.
It committed one percent of all it consolidated revenue funds into paying for service under the scheme for the vulnerable in the State. “So currently we have been able to enroll about 46000 vulnerable into the scheme across the 23 LGAs. We’ve identified them using key criteria. We’ve people that are above 65yesrs, people with disability, pregnant women that fall within the economic circle and can’t afford maternal health care, and children under five years. “This are basically the categories of vulnerable government can take care of. And government has been so committed to funding and has been releasing the funds consistently right from 2020 when the scheme started. Criteria used is well spelt out.
“All the facilities providing the services under the scheme are effective and have been acredited, inspected, access and certified”, she stated.
