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By Abel Leonard, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has said that the recently flagged off Health Insurance Agency is to ensure affordable health services to the people and that over 61,000 persons have enrolled into the scheme.
He spoke at a medical outreach in Akwanga Local Government: “I have approved over N300,000 million to the State Health Insurance Agency as our contribution and to enrol more people. Government will continue to release its own contribution to ensure the smooth running of the programme.”
The outreach was facilitated by Kwantamania Movement, led by the Commissioner for Environment, Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta. He said: “Over 100 medical personnel ranging from doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians were engaged for the three-day programme.
“Whatever medical challenges discovered in the course of the consultations will be treated free of any charge. Beneficiaries were carefully selected based on the health challenges, without regard to tribe, religion or political party.
“We have profiled them. We will try to ensure that government includes them in the health insurance scheme so as to continue to benefit from medical services.”
Team leader, Dr Grimah Vechu, said over 30 doctors and nurses were mobilised for the programme, including 15 pharmacists and 15 lab technicians: “The programme carried out over 50 minor surgeries and about 500 medical consultations.”
One hundred and thirty six beneficiaries were selected. A beneficiary, Yakubu Ibrahim, appealed to kind-hearted persons in the society to emulate the movement.
Another beneficiary, Sunday Emmanuel, said the programme saved his life. He was diagnosed of an ailment that required surgery since the past three months. He said he had no money to go to the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (UNIJOSTH) for the surgery:
“My wife, children, family members have been working hard to ensure that I get the money to travel to Jos, by next month so that the surgery will be conducted. But to my surprise, this programme came up and I was enlisted. I was operated upon the first day as you can see I am recovering well.”
