Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Government has revealed that enrolment under its Contributory Health Insurance Scheme has risen to 583,460 beneficiaries, representing a 64 per cent increase from the 355,000 enrollees recorded in 2023.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda disclosed this yesterday during the flag-off of the enrolment of 184,105 beneficiaries into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across the state.
He attributed the growth to his administration’s sustained investment in healthcare financing and reforms aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the state.
He also announced that enrolment into the state health insurance scheme would henceforth be compulsory for all government employment programmes in the state.
He added that an executive memorandum would be issued to enforce compliance across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He said the health insurance scheme is intended to shield residents from catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenses while expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare services.
Radda disclosed that retirees, members of the Hisbah Corps, the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and persons with disabilities continued to enjoy free health insurance funded by the state government.
He further stated that the state recently paid N243 million as counterpart funding for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, while its digital enrollee management platform had strengthened transparency and efficiency in healthcare service delivery.
In his remarks, the Director General of KTSCHMA, Mohammed Safana, said the agency had enrolled over half a million residents into the health insurance scheme as of July 2026.
Safana revealed that in the last 12 months alone, the scheme financed treatment for 205,693 severe malaria cases, 142,293 hypertension cases, 83,787 diabetes cases and 17,907 hospital bed days, including Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) services.
He added that the health insurance programme also funded 223 Caesarean Sections and 150 Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception (ERPC) procedures, contributing significantly to improved maternal and child healthcare across the state.
He appealed to Governor Radda to approve the full implementation of the Katsina State Health Trust Fund to guarantee sustainable healthcare financing and consolidate the gains recorded by the sector.