Katsina Health Insurance Enrolment Hits 583,460 Beneficiaries, Declares Health Insurance For Government Jobs

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Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced that enrolment under the Katsina State Health Insurance Scheme has increased from 355,000 beneficiaries in 2023 to 583,460 in 2026, representing a 64 per cent growth within three years.

Radda disclosed while flagging off the enrolment of 184,105 beneficiaries into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across Katsina State’s 361 political wards at the General Hospital, Katsina on Friday.

He said the achievement reflects his administration’s sustained investment in expanding access to quality healthcare and ensuring that poor and vulnerable citizens are not left behind.

“Today, we are not merely launching another programme. We are taking another bold step towards ensuring that healthcare becomes a right and not a privilege for every citizen of Katsina State,” the Governor declared.

Governor Radda stated that Katsina has emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading states in healthcare financing and service delivery, with the Katsina State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KTSCHMA) winning the National Health Insurance Excellence Award in both 2024 and 2025.

He disclosed that the agency has also hosted peer-review visits from seven states seeking to understudy Katsina’s innovative healthcare financing model.

Radda disclosed that about 98 per cent of state and local government employees have been enrolled into the health insurance scheme, while retirees, members of the Hisbah Corps, the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and persons with disabilities continue to benefit from free health insurance provided by the state government.

The Governor also announced the mandatory requirement of enrolment into the Katsina State Health Insurance Scheme for all government employment programmes.

“An Executive Memorandum will be issued immediately to ensure full compliance across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Health insurance is now mandatory in Katsina State because we are determined to protect our people from avoidable financial hardship arising from medical expenses,” the Governor stated.

He commended the Director General of KTSCHMA, Mohammed Safana, for his exemplary leadership and professionalism, noting that his emergence as Chairman of the Forum of Chief Executive Officers of State Social Health Insurance Agencies reflects the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues across the country.

The Governor also praised the agency’s Governing Council, management and staff for building a transparent, accountable and efficient health insurance system that continues to improve healthcare delivery across Katsina State.

He further disclosed that, in line with the resolutions of the recent National Health Insurance Summit, Katsina State has commenced the process of establishing a sustainable healthcare financing model to safeguard the gains recorded in the health sector and preserve them for future generations.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu Funtua, said the administration has revitalised over 200 Primary Healthcare Centres, recruited more than 1,000 frontline healthcare workers, expanded the Drug Revolving Fund by 400 per cent, and increased funding for the state’s Free Medicare Programme by 207 percent.

Adamu noted that KTSCHMA’s capitation and fee-for-service financing model has transformed healthcare delivery at the General Hospital, Katsina, through the renovation and expansion of critical facilities, the revival of an abandoned operating theatre, the establishment of a Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and the provision of modern medical equipment, including ECG machines, ultrasound scanners and oxygen concentrators.

Also speaking, the Director General of the Katsina State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KTSCHMA), Mohammed Safana, described the official flag-off of the BHCPF enrollment as a historic milestone in Katsina’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage.

He explained that the BHCPF finances essential primary healthcare services, including antenatal care, immunisation, chronic disease screening and other lifesaving interventions for poor and vulnerable residents.

He revealed that, within the last 12 months, the agency financed 205,693 severe malaria treatments, 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.

According to him, the scheme also financed 223 Caesarean Sections and 150 Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception (ERPC) procedures, significantly improving maternal and child healthcare across the state.

Safana appealed to Governor Radda to approve the full implementation of the Katsina State Health Trust Fund, saying the initiative would institutionalise sustainable healthcare financing and preserve the administration’s achievements for future generations.

On his part, the Medical Director of General Hospital, Katsina, Dr. Abdulrahman Muhammad, thanked Governor Radda for providing the hospital with an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, solar power generators and a dedicated cleaning company, describing the interventions as transformative.

He said the solar power project has significantly reduced electricity costs, enabling the hospital to channel more of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) towards procuring medical equipment and maintaining healthcare facilities.

The Medical Director invited Governor Radda to visit General Hospital Katsina to personally inspect the improvements recorded at the facility, describing them as the result of the administration’s sustained investment in healthcare.

The event was attended by the Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura; the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Abdullahi Garba Faskari; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; members of the Katsina State Executive Council; heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); traditional rulers; development partners; healthcare stakeholders; and other senior government officials.