KADCHMA, Pathfinder partners to drive informal sectors into Health insurance scheme
KADCHMA, Pathfinder partners to drive informal sectors into Health insurance scheme
By:Femi Mustapha
Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) with the support of Pathfinder International has enlightened stakeholders from the informal sectors on its mandate to achieve universal health coverage by providing accessible, high-quality, inclusive, and affordable healthcare services to all.
Director-general of KADCHMA, Abubakar Hassan, asserted this during a Town Hall meeting with relevant stakeholders of Kaduna State Contributory Health Scheme (KSCHS) in Kaduna on Wednesday 11th October, 2023.
The Director General represented by the Team Lead informal Sector of KADCHMA Hannatu Abubakar Ladan said that the beginning of access to healthcare services under the scheme in June 2020 represented a shift from the catastrophic health expenses and high out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by the infirm.
The scheme, according to her presented a more efficient, sustainable, and comprehensive approach to health financing, that allowed for contributory pre-payment mechanisms.
She added health insurance is the most sustainable mechanism to achieve universal health coverage in the state.
“For Kaduna State to attain universal health coverage through the provision of access to basic, quality, and affordable healthcare services, there is a need to invest in strengthening healthcare systems.
“This implies mobilizing funds from various sources and strategically deploying these funds for maximum benefit in a sustainable way.
“We must also ensure that our people access the needed healthcare, health care they require it, and that funds are available to provide those health services,” she said.
Hannatu Abubakar Laden, however, expressed dismay over the low patronage from the informal sectors, hence the need for the town hall meeting.
She said the objectives of the Meeting are to acquaint stakeholders with the operationalization of the scheme and discuss how to drive informal sector enrolment into KSCHS
Hannatu Abubakar Laden disclosed that the Authority has the same focus with
Spelled out the advantages of the scheme and the need for the KADCHMA, Pathfinder International as over 79,000 pregnant women, children, and vulnerable groups in the state have benefited from the scheme.
In her reaction the State Programs manager of the Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL) project Paulina Akanet said the project implemented by Pathfinder International in the state is aimed at improving access to maternal and newborn health services and strengthening collaboration and partnership between the two organizations is relevant for the benefit of maternal and newborn health services
The SMGL 2.0 project utilizes the three-delays model in identifying barriers to scale-up healthcare for women of reproductive age and newborns, as well as, providing solutions for them.
The model postulates that maternal and perinatal deaths occur due to one or some of three delays – delay in seeking care, delay in reaching care, and delay in receiving care.
