YouthHubAfrica in collaboration with Christian Aid on Friday enrolled 200 vulnerable persons in Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Waru communities into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Health Insurance Scheme.
Executive Director, YouthHubAfrica, Rotimi Olawale made this known at the handing-over ceremony of cards to beneficiaries in Waru, Abuja.
Olawale said that the project was implemented to promote Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in FCT to enable them to access quality health care for a period of 12 months for free.
“Health insurance coverage is low in Nigeria and people who are covered are mostly covered by the organisations they work for.
”However, people who work in the informal sector do not have such privilege, many of them do not believe that health can be free or could have their insurance covered.
“Most of them pay out of pocket and when they cannot pay they simply do not go to the hospitals and that is where the marginalisation comes to play,” he said.
Olawale said the idea was to partner with the FCT Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to assist indigent people to access quality health care.
”Our team went to the field with a pre-designed survey, the idea was to identify people who are below a certain level of earnings or marginalised persons who would benefit the most from this health insurance scheme.
”We paid on their behalf and register them under the FCT Health Insurance Scheme.
“So today’s event is to present the registration card to the beneficiaries we hope that when they get registered in this service, they will be able to access services at the different hospitals, “he said.
Chief Executive Officer, FCT National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof. Mohammed Sambo, represented by Greg Azubuke, NHIA, FCT Coordinator, commended YouthHubAfrica for the initiative.
Sambo said that the agency attached great importance to the gesture.
He said, “Health insurance is a situation whereby you can just walk into a facility of your choice and access the best possible medical attention without paying a dime.
“That is what we are here to do by the goodwill of YouthHubAfrica, they have been able to register 200 people from three communities in the FCT.
“By virtue of this registration, these 200 lucky people can easily walk into a hospital of their choice and be treated for whatever ailments they may and walk out without paying a kobo.”
Sambo called on other citizens of goodwill to emulate the example set by YouthHubAfrica by visiting communities and picking certain numbers of people and make them access to quality and affordable healthcare in the hospital of their choice.
He said the burden should not be left to the government alone because it takes collaborative efforts to tackle issues and urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity.
Country Director, Christian Aid, Temitope Fashola, represented by Dorcas Asaolu, Health, and Human Development Intern, said achieving universal health coverage meant that everybody has access to needed good quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship.
Fashola said that the LGA UHC Initiative project was born in 2020 to achieve healthcare coverage for all.
“Christian Aid Nigeria has over the course of two years taken the initiative from Nasarawa to Benue and the FCT.
”This handing over of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme cards to participants is in line with the UHC goal and built on the adoption model to stimulate trust.
“This is a strong affirmation that with our joint efforts, we can push our cooperation in improving access to quality, timely, and affordable health care for all.”
The District Head of Waru, Ibrahim Sarki, thanked YouthHubAfrica for the gesture.
He said he had been a beneficiary of a health insurance scheme in the past so he understood how much the organization would have spent to grant his community members health insurance.
” I want to show my appreciation to YouthHubAfrica that on behalf of my people we are happy,” he said