The National Health Insurance Authority says it carried out a sensitisation in Cross River to the federal government’s Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

The event carried out on Wednesday in Calabar, had in attendance health service providers and enrollees of the NHIA.

Nuhu Ajodi, zonal director of NHIA in the South-South, said the government introduced the fund, targeting the vulnerable, specifically women and children in Nigeria.

Mr Ajodi said the money was channelled to the state health insurance agencies to ensure that mothers and children were enrolled to access care free of charge.

“This fund, which covers caesarian section and referral within the system to a secondary health facility, is aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality. For this fund, the enrollment is facility-based; all intending beneficiaries both in urban and rural areas are to go to accredited facilities in their areas.

“Health insurance is for everybody, irrespective of the segment of the society anyone finds himself,” Mr Ajodi explained.

The NHIA coordinator added that those who were not government workers but had something they were doing should enrol in the Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP).

(NAN)