Zamfara Governor commissions state’s Contributory Healthcare Agency complex

The Zamfara State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency complex was on Tuesday commissioned by Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

This was as the commencement of the enrollment of formal and non formal sectors of the State into the scheme was also kickstarted.

The commissioning was held at Yar’Kuka along General Sani Abacha Way, Gusau, the state capital.

Governor Mohammed Matawalle said commissioning of the headquarters of the Zamfara State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, ZACHEMA and the flag off of enrolment programs, dissemination of operational guidelines and benefits packages for the use of the residents of our dear State is part of his administration’s determination to uplift the health status of the State civil servants and retirees.

He added that, Universal health insurance is one of the core aspirations of societies the world over, It is a significant safety net that citizens, most especially the vulnerable and the poor, can always fall back on in the wake of day to day health challenges of our time.

Matawalle maintained that based on the commitment of his administration to ensure the realisation of universal coverage of health insurance in the State, he visited the headquarters of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Abuja. and discussed a wide range of issues pertaining the operation of a health insurance scheme and other health-related issues with the management of the Agency with a view to exploring areas of further collaboration.

He further said that in his commitment to the realisation of the scheme, he decided to construct the befitting headquarters for Zamfara State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency and provide the required facilities for the effective functioning of the offices and that the state government has deployed technical staff for the Agency and trained over 600 healthcare providers on basic healthcare provision fund across the Agency and also developed an enrolment programme for both the formal and the informal sectors as well as operational guidelines.

The insurance scheme on health is underscored by the fact that most families and individuals cannot afford to foot the bills on their healthcare.

The Governor also highlighted some of his administration’s efforts of transforming the state health sector which include the supply of 23 ambulances to health care facilities and construction of new Women and Children Clinics in all the 14 Local Government areas of the State.

Others enumerated by the governor include the onstruction of 147 Primary Healthcare Centres across the rural areas of the State made up of the 50-beds capacity that would reduce the hardship of moving patients from rural facilities to the secondary health facilities except on very serious health issues.

The Governor further said that a contract for the completion of Shinkafi Referral Hospital at the cost of N2.7 Billion for the benefit of the people of the State has also been awarded.

He stressed that the establishment of health insurance agencies in the states of the federation is part of this intervention which will hopefully lead to the attainment of universal health coverage in Nigeria.

Matawalle maintained that commissioning of the office complex is a demonstration of his administration’s commitment and compliance with global Health Insurance Policy and International best practice. “Our health insurance agency will provide an efficient and sustainable mechanism for pooling of resources to finance healthcare services, thereby reducing out-of-pocket medical expenditure through various prepayments”, he observed.

He also expressed optimism that the Agency has full potential and capacity to implement the scheme to all residents of Zamfara State irrespective of their statuses. Especially Zamfara Civil Servants and pensioners and their families will be enrolled under the formal Sector Enrolment Program.