Kebbi Contributory Healthcare Scheme: we are solidly behind you– DG NHIA

By Abdullahi Faruk Birnin Kebbi

National Health insurance Authority(NHIA) Director General and CEO professor Muhammad Nasir Sambo has pledged support to kebbi State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KECHEMA) for inauguration and lunching for a formal flag off of formal sector health insurance enrollment exercise for all civil servants in the state performed by the state governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.

The DG was represented at the ceremony by the NHIA Kebbi State Coordinator, Alhaji Musa Magaji who read the speech and goodwill message of the CEO and Director General of the NHIA national Headquarters Abuja who made the disclosure while delivering his goodwill message at the flagging off ceremony on behalf of his boss which took place at gwadangaji Secretariat premises in Birnin Kebbi the state capital.

He described Governor of Kebbi State, Your Excellency, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who has shown uncommon and exemplary leadership by ensuring that these laudable initiative, which will address the unmet need for health care by bringing succor to every civil servants who requires promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative care, but have had difficulty in accessing it, he said.

According to him, Gov. Bagudu is a man of action and multifaceted capabilities, well known for passion and commitment to the wellbeing of the people and the progressive transformation of Kebbi State. We have all witnessed your dynamic leadership and strategic investments in infrastructural development in the State.

Equally, he said” let me joined you as you continue to pave the way for others to follow and it is important to note that there is an adage that says” no leadership without followership, and behind every strong leader is an equally strong and coordinated team”. I therefore, congratulate the Kebbi State health team including the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Hon. Jafar Muhammad, The Executive Secretary of the Kebbi State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KECHEMA), our very own Dr. Jafar Augie Muhammad.

He also expressed that your coordination and commitment under the present administration is worthy of emulation, and in no distant future Kebbi State will be a point of reference for other States.

The DG futher said that” I congratulate the good and industrious people of Kebbi State for this milestone achievement along with all the civil servants of the state. He however, noted that
this is a big step in the right direction towards the actualization of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), not just in Kebbi State but also in our country Nigeria. “I can assure you that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is solidly behind you, and with you in this journey, and we look forward to achieves many more milestones together in the spirit of Health Insurance Under One Roof (HIUOR).

Therefore, With the recent enactment of the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022, the NHIS – which implemented the previous Millennium Development Goals Maternal and Child Health (MDG-MCH) no longer exists. Instead, it has become an Authority with the additional powers to promote, regulate and integrate all health insurance schemes in Nigeria.

In addition, the NHIA Act provides for mandatory health insurance and establishes the Vulnerable Group Fund (VGF) which is funded from several sources including health insurance levies, special intervention funds and donations.

Again, it will interest you to know that by singular act of President Muhammadu Buhari signing the NHIA Act into law has provided two critical factors necessary for Universal Health Coverage – automatic or mandatory participation, as well as subsidy for coverage of vulnerable populations – in the spirit of leaving no-one behind, he expressed.

NHIA is also providing technical support for accreditation, and validation of enrolment as well as continuous capacity building to the State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs) including that of Kebbi State. I want to emphasize that your success is our success, and we are fully committed to gets it right in Kebbi State.

On the hold, I will not be end my speech without mentioning the unprecedented support that the NHIA has received from Gov. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, especially for the allocation of property for the construction of our prototype ultramodern Kebbi State NHIA office. I want to assure you, Your Excellency that the edifice is nearing completion and very soon, we shall invite you for its commissioning. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, and we must not rest on our oars but keep striving for excellence.