The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has carried out a sensitisation in Cross River to the Federal Government’s Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
The event, which was carried out on Wednesday in Calabar, had in attendance, health service providers and enrollees of the NHIA Scheme in the state.
Mr Nuhu Ajodi, Zonal Director, South-South NHIA, said the Federal Government introduced the Fund, targeting the vulnerable, specifically women and children in Nigeria.
Ajodi said the money was channeled to the state health insurance agencies to ensure that mothers and children were enrolled to access care, free of charge.
“This fund which covers caesarian section and referral within the system to a secondary health facility, is aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality.
“For this fund, the enrollment is facility based; all intending beneficiaries both in urban and rural areas are to go to accredited facilities in their areas.
“Health insurance is for everybody, irrespective of the segment of the society anyone finds himself,” he said.
He added that those who were not government workers but had something they were doing should enrol in the Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme, (GIFSHIP).
Similarly, Mr Stanley Effah said the forum became necessary to enlighten every critical stakeholder in the state on the benefits of health insurance.
Effah stated that Universal Health Coverage was a global phenomenon but the key point was to ensure that the main stakeholders were getting adequate service.
“Health Insurance is everybody’s business but it is only through forums like this that we can make every stakeholder understand the importance of the scheme.
“The scheme has been wonderful in Cross River but there is still a lot of milestone to cover in terms of awareness of individual and potential enrollees.
“You cannot participate in a scheme without knowing your rights and responsibilities, this is why this forum is important,” he said.
The forum had sessions for questions and answers from enrollees and service providers while Mr Nsa Gil, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River Chapter, and others delivered lectures.