The Kaduna State Government on Friday launched the distribution of identity cards to the poorest of the poor, which would give them free access to healthcare under the state’s Contributory Health Management Authority.
The cards distribution are in three pilot local government areas of Sanga, Igabi and Kabau.
While in Sanga Local Government Area, Mr Aliyu Saidu, the Director-General, Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA), said that the selection of Igabi, Kubau and Sanga local councils followed a survey conducted in the state in February.
He added that the inauguration of the scheme were being done simultaneously across the three pilot local government areas.
Represented by the Publicity and Communications Officer of the authority, Mr Jonathan Joseph, saidu said that “the beneficiaries will have access to free medical care in their various Primary Health Care Centres till death.”
The KADCHMA boss said “the cards are not transferable; over 700 poor people are to benefit from the scheme in Sanga Local Government Area alone.”
On how the government planned to sustain the initiative, he said that the state government would set aside one per cent of its yearly budget for the programme.
The Chairman of Sanga, Mr Charles Danladi, represented by the Majority Leader of the legislative council, Farouk Danzomo, commended the state governor for keeping his promise of providing quality healthcare to the most vulnerable in the state.
The free healthcare access to the vulnerable is expected to be scaled up to cover the 23 local government areas of the state, with each having at least 1000 beneficiaries.
