The Jigawa State Government said it commenced enrolment of 400 political appointees into the state health insurance scheme.

This is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Ismail Ibrahim, on Friday, in Dutse.

Mr Ibrahim said the SSG, Bala Ibrahim-Mamsa, officially inaugurated the enrollment of the appointees into the Jigawa State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency in his office.

According to the PRO, Mr Ibrahim-Mamsa emphasised that the initiative will strengthen the scheme to enhance universal health coverage for all citizens of the state.

The SSG highlighted that the State Executive Council approved the inclusion of political office holders into the health scheme, adding that the law establishing JICHMA had been amended to facilitate the exercise.

He urged political appointees in the state to enroll in the scheme within the designated time frame.

The SSG and Chief of Staff to Governor Umar Namadi, Mujitaba Muhammad, were the first to enroll, setting the stage for the exercise.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim, highlighted that the exercise would provide essential healthcare service to the vulnerable population of the state.

Mr Ibrahim said that JICHMA had enrolled 500 vulnerable persons from each of the 287 wards in the state into the scheme.

He said that the beneficiaries were digitally selected at the ward level, with their profiles recorded in a central database.

Also, the agency’s Executive Secretary, Hamza Maigari, assured that arrangements for the enrollment of all the political appointees had been concluded.

Mr Margari, however, appealed to the SSG to ensure that political appointees participated in the exercise.

He said that the enrollment exercise would take place across the 27 local government areas in the state. 

(NAN)