The Cross River State Health Insurance Agency has enrolled 38,680 residents across all 18 local government areas in the past five months, out of a target of 150,000 for the year. Dr. Godwin Iyala, Director General of the agency, disclosed this during a briefing on Wednesday, providing an update on the agency's activities over the last year.
Migration to BHCF 2.0 and NIN Requirement
Dr. Iyala explained that the enrollment follows the migration of the Health Insurance Agency to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCF) 2.0. This transition makes it compulsory for every enrollee to have a National Identification Number (NIN) to track Nigerians on the scheme. As a result, all previously enrolled individuals without NIN were removed, and the current figure reflects only those with NIN.
Packages and Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries were registered under various packages, including the public sector, informal sector, and vulnerable groups. The agency is now moving into the Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP). Dr. Iyala noted that many enrollees are daily benefiting from medical services at 196 healthcare facilities across the 196 electoral wards of the 18 LGAs.
Digitalisation and Efficiency
Dr. Iyala announced that CRSHIA has digitalised all its processes to ensure easy access to effective healthcare services. This digitalisation has improved efficiency and transparency. He called on healthcare providers to maintain professionalism and deliver desired services to boost public confidence in the scheme.
Support from Government and Challenges
The Director General attributed the agency's achievements to support from Governor Bassey Otu and his wife, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, who has been branded as the Ambassador of Cross River State Health Insurance Agency. He thanked the governor's wife for single-handedly paying for and enrolling 500 aged persons into the scheme. Dr. Iyala also enumerated challenges, including inadequate funding, logistics, lack of human resources, and low enrollment due to NIN requirements.
Call for Support and Future Goals
He appreciated individuals who adopted and paid for indigent persons in their communities and urged others to emulate this gesture to expand coverage for the poor and vulnerable. The agency aims to achieve universal health coverage, targeting civil servants, artisans, traders in the informal sector, tertiary institution students, and vulnerable households identified through community structures. The 196 accredited facilities are distributed across all electoral wards to ensure access in urban and rural areas.
Dr. Iyala emphasized that digitalisation has reduced bottlenecks and allowed enrollees to interact seamlessly with the system.
