From Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto
The Sokoto State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (SOCHEMA), in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has organized a one-day sensitization workshop for the leadership of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce.
The workshop, aimed at scaling up informal sector enrolment in Sokoto State, drew participants from clusters of business communities under the auspices of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce.
Declaring the workshop open, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruku Umar Abubakar Wurno, said it aimed to sensitize and create awareness among the business community in order to make them understand the role, functions and importance of establishing the Agency.
According to him, SOCHEMA is an agency established to provide easily accessible and qualitative healthcare to individuals and their families. It is also designed to provide support to the less privileged, individuals and children in order to have better health indices.
The Director-General of SOCHEMA, Yusuf Abu Abdulkarim, explained in detail the objective of the workshop, adding that it was aimed at shoring the enrolment figures of the agency.
On the expected outcome after the workshop, the Director-General urged the participants to accept the programme by enrolling in the scheme along with their families.
Speaking, the President of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Yakubu Ma’aji, called on the participants to be good ambassadors of the programme for the realization of the set objectives.
In his address, the Special Adviser on SOCHEMA, Ahmad Rufa’i Abubakar, extolled the leadership of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce for showing determination to enroll into the informal sector programme.
Ahmad Rufa’i Abubakar then assured that the agency will spare no effort in achieving the expected number of enrollees.
Other speakers included the Special Adviser on SSPHDA, Dr. Bello Marnona, DG SOSMEA, Dr. Namadina Ibrahim, DG DSMA, Pharmacist Umar Attahiru and ES SOSMEA, Hajiya Luba Hassan, among other stakeholders.
The event featured questions and answers, contributions from participants as well as an overview of SOCHEMA’s activities by its Directors.
The Sokoto State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (SOCHEMA) was established in 2018 and became fully operational in 2021 with the mandate to ensure all residents of Sokoto State have access to quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services irrespective of their socio-economic status.
The Agency was set up to provide for the indigent, the poor and vulnerable in the state and to reduce the burden of out-of-pocket payment for healthcare.
SOCHEMA currently operates both formal and informal sector programmes, alongside the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which is jointly supported by the Federal and Sokoto State Governments.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
