J4PD To Partner Bauchi Health Contributory Agency To Create Awareness On Health Insurance

By Dorcas Dauda 

A Media network under the sponsorship of Journalist for Public Health and Development (J4PD) have revealed their readiness to Collaborate with the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) with a view to creating awareness on health insurance aimed at keying into the national policy on Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

This was affirmed by one of the directors of J4PD Elizabeth Carr.

Elizabeth also said Public Health Reportage is one of the key areas of competence, hence the need for a sustainable media campaign on health insurance in Bauchi State.

She said that media campaigns could also have a positive increase in changing negative perceptions on the part of prospective beneficiaries and also holding health care service providers and the government accountable for their responsibilities.

While highlighting some of the achievements of the J4PD, the director said that one of the major challenges halting the activities on the network is centred around funding to carry out on-the-spot assessment of situations at facilities levels, especially in the primary healthcare system, which according to her is the first point of accessing health care services.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of BASHCMA Dr Mansur Dada while giving an update on the implementation of the scheme in the state said that the primary function of the agency is to ensure all citizens signed up in the scheme have access to healthcare services without having to spend out of pocket

Dr Mansur added that the agency has from July 2021 to March 2022 disbursed over two hundred million naira to the 323 main primary healthcare centres across the state, for the provision of basic and quality healthcare services to over forty-five thousand vulnerable populations enrolled under the scheme.

Our correspondent reports that during the workshop, participants drawn from electronic, print and online media were taken through focus areas which include: Benefits of health insurance and the role of the Media in Bauchi State, updates on the implementation of health insurance and activities of J4PD in the state.

The participants are also expected to visit some health facilities to have first-hand information regarding health insurance services in such centres