…….as J4PD pays advocacy visit
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have reiterated its readiness to key into the State Government Health Contributory Scheme, just as it calls for more enlightenment campaign to recreate more awareness on the scheme.
The state Chairman of NLC Comrade Danjuma Sale disclosed this on Friday 28th October, 2022, when members of a Bauchi based civil society organization (CSO) known as Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD) paid an advocacy visit to his office in Bauchi.
Comrade Sale, while commending J4PD members for their interest in the welfare of workers and their families, said that Bauchi NLC are consulting with the state health contributory agency with a view to fast tracking the process of enrolment of Bauchi State workers into the scheme.
He also urged the state government to fulfil its own part of the agreement by paying the counterpart fund into the scheme for smooth implementation of the process.
Comrade Sale further implore the state implementing Agency to redouble its efforts in creating more awareness on the scheme with a more to attracting more clients into the health insurance scheme.
Earlier in her remarks, the state coordinator of J4PD Ms. Elizabeth Kah informed the NLC Chairman that J4PD, in partnership with a USAID funded Project titled Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE), which is being implemented by Center for Social Justice (CSJ), have developed an advocacy brief on the State Health Insurance program in its efforts to give prospective clients, the state government and other non state actors an insights on the benefits health insurance, which seeks to reduce out of pocket expenses on families.
Ms. Kah said that globally, health insurance systems is viewed as the surest way to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) for all.
The J4PD Coordinator also appeal to the NLC Chairman and his management team to become champions of Health insurance scheme not only to their immediate constituencies, but taking the advocacy forward to private organizations, informal sector and even to the community level.
Recalled that J4PD had paid similar visit to the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency, where areas of collaboration was explored. During the visit the Agency agreed to train members of J4PD on effective reporting of health insurance processes, while J4PD also offered to develop and air radio programs and jingles for the Agency as their contributions for more awareness creation on the scheme.
Our correspondent reports that J4PD will in subsequent days to come, also carry out advocacy visits to other key stakeholders in Bauchi State with a view to getting their by-in into the health insurance scheme.