By Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

Sixty journalists in Plateau State have been enrolled on the Plateau State Contributory Health Insurance Management Agency, PLASCHEMA, as the Agency buys a year’s premium for the beneficiaries to give them access to timely health care.

The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Fabong Jemchang who distributed the Health cards to the beneficiaries in Jos on Thursday, during an interface with the media practitioners said the media is a critical stakeholder that can ensure the achievement of universal health coverage hence the need to strengthen partnership by actively engaging journalists in the scheme.

He noted that journalists like other members of society face health hazards in the course of their jobs hence giving them health incentives would assist them in discharging their responsibilities effectively in society.

Speaking at the event tagged: “Leveraging on the media for sustainable universal health coverage,” Jemchang said, “… achieving universal health coverage is impossible without the media, the media is a critical stakeholder, they communicate government policies to the people, create awareness in the society, facilitate the exchange of views, concerns, experiences and learning among stakeholders in the health insurance. The media serves as a platform for achieving behavioural modification and change; sets the agenda for society…

“We are working on achieving universal health coverage but unfortunately, many are yet to key into the scheme. There are many ways to finance health care, it is about interest, citizens should know that buying premiums is more cost-effective. Poverty magnifies the need for health care while shrinking the capacity to finance it…”

Giving a baseline survey summary in the State, he disclosed, “… Seven out of 10 Plateau residents suffer catastrophic out of pocket expenditure on healthcare, out of pocket is the commonest means of health care financing in the State and the poor health seeking behaviour is due to poverty…”

He appealed to politicians to buy premiums and enrol their supporters and constituents to enable them to gain the enormous benefits embedded in the scheme.

Earlier, the Agency’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, Theresa Gofwen commended media practitioners in the State for their support in telling the Agency’s story of ensuring that no one is left behind in achieving universal health coverage and called for continued partnership.

Kwande Dakwal and Solomon Kwakfut, both officials of the Agency called on the media to also watch the facilities where they access health care and give feedback to the Agency to help the Agency and facilities make improvements where necessary.

However, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Paul Jatau commended the Agency for the gesture, recommended continued synergy to enable the media to give appropriate information to society about the activities of the Agency and urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the Agency.