The Enugu State Universal Health Coverage (ESA-UHC) said it enrolled 220,000 residents since the programme began in 2020, aimed at providing affordable and quality healthcare for all citizens.

Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of ESA-UHC, Dr Edith Okolo, disclosed this during an interview on Tuesday in Enugu, highlighting significant progress.

She said the number of enrollees, which had remained static for some time, began to rise in 2025 as more residents registered through intensified sensitisation and rural mobilisation by council chairmen.

Ms Okolo urged residents to register for the scheme by paying a reduced annual premium of N12,000 to access essential healthcare services that would otherwise cost them significantly more privately.

She said that the agency’s mandate was to ensure every Enugu resident enjoyed access to quality, affordable healthcare through a basic minimum package covering preventive, curative, and maternal health services.

She stated, “The N12,000 annual premium provides treatments including hospital admissions for surgical cases up to 20 days and medical cases up to 15 days cumulatively each year. It also covers caesarean sections, which have saved the lives of many women and newborns by enabling them to deliver safely at accredited healthcare facilities.’’

Ms Okolo noted that ESA-UHC continuously expanded its hospital network, engaging state-owned, faith-based, and private facilities to provide quality services, with all registered primary healthcare centres eligible to participate.

“Patients choose their preferred hospitals; we do not assign them anywhere. There is no third party between the agency and healthcare providers,” she stressed.

She said ESA-UHC had intensified awareness campaigns to encourage more enrolment, adding that the registration process had been simplified for easy access across the state’s local government areas.

According to her, the state operates two health insurance schemes, the ESA-UHC and the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), funded jointly by federal and state health authorities.

She explained that BHCPF targeted vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, and elderly residents aged 85 and above across Enugu communities.

“These programmes are meant for the poor in our communities. Currently, about 54,000 vulnerable persons are receiving care under the BHCPF programme,” Ms Okolo disclosed.

She added that registration often took place through community outreaches and the state’s social register, which identified vulnerable residents needing healthcare support under the scheme.

Ms Okolo emphasised that the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2021 made health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians, while the agency continued sensitising residents to its long-term benefits.

She noted that some residents were initially sceptical about accessing quality healthcare with a N12,000 premium, adding that growing success stories had built public confidence in the programme.

Ms Okolo revealed that ESA-UHC would use its forthcoming Universal Health Coverage Summit, scheduled for December 8 to 12, to further promote enrolment and create greater awareness of the scheme.

(NAN)