In collaboration with key stakeholders, the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) will revitalise public boarding school sickbays and link the facilities with the nearest primary or secondary healthcare centres.

The initiative is to ensure that secondary school students access quality healthcare services at an affordable rate and boost enrollment into the scheme in Kaduna.

The agency’s director-general, Abubakar Hassan, disclosed this during a two-day engagement workshop with media managers and KADCHMA in Zaria on Thursday.

He added that the referral initiative was to move the student to the nearest facilities when there were complications beyond the capacity of the sickbay; it was aimed at allowing the parents and student to be comfortable while pursuing knowledge.

“The initiative, which would commence in 2014, was also targeted at reducing high out-of-pocket expenses and impoverishment spending for healthcare services in the presence of low household financial capacity,’” stated Mr Hassan.

A health account survey conducted by KADCHMA says 84.2 per cent of residents in Kaduna incur heavy out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare services.

One of the scheme’s goals was to ensure that healthcare expenses did not lead to poverty and stop people from having other social needs. The health account survey conducted by KADCHMA for 2017 to 2021 indicated the imperative of people pulling resources under the scheme to access quality healthcare at an affordable rate.

Mr Hassan said the agenda of Governor Uba Sani was to use the scheme as a vehicle for reducing poverty through robust enrollment into the scheme, hence the workshop with media managers. 

(NAN)