By Blessing Odega
The Plateau State Contributory Healthcare management Agency (PLASCHEMA), has taken sensitisation to the informal sector, on the benefits of enrolling into its health insurance programme, to curb out of pocket expenditure.
The Director-General (D-G) of PLASCHEMA,
Dr. Agabus Manasseh, disclosed this on Thursday in Jos, at a meeting with the leadership of groups in the informal sector on the Plateau.
Manasseh, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, Mrs Theresa Gofwen, said the essence of the meeting was to educate the leadership of the various groups on the benefits, modalities and the operational guidelines of the scheme.
According to him, the individual premium package costs N12,000, per annum (per individual), while the premium for a family, which covers four children less than 18 years of age, and the parents cost N50,000 yearly.
The D-G, explained that the scheme aimed to enhance citizens health insurance and safety social net cover for those in the informal sector.
He described the state’s health agency as the biggest social safety net provided by the state government to eliminate out of pocket expenditure, and to improve on the health indices of the people.
He called on members of the public, who had not enrolled into the scheme, to do so as it also served as a means of financial protection for the enrollees.
Mrs Sarah Ali, a participant from the informal sector, lauded the agency for the massive awareness.
Ali expressed optimism that enrolling into the scheme would be of immense benefits to the enrollees, particularly as it concerned cutting down in expenses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that PLASCHEMA had begun the informal sector sensitisation in the state in December last year, in collaboration with other NGOs, to upscale their inclusion into the scheme.
They included Christian Aid Nigeria and Women and Children in Support of Community Development Initiatives (WOCCI Nigeria. NAN
