The Sokoto State Contributory Health Care Management Agency (SOCHEMA) says it is ready and committed to the full implementation of the formal sector programme under the Sokoto State Contributory Healthcare Scheme.
Director General of SOCHEMA, Yusuf Abu Abdulkarim, disclosed this after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Ministry of Finance, Sokoto. The meeting brought together officials of the Ministry of Finance, leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and all their affiliates, as well as SOCHEMA representatives, where final resolutions were reached for the smooth take-off of the programme.
Abdulkarim explained that the formal sector programme is designed for state civil servants, under which four percent of their basic salary will be deducted. This contribution, he said, would entitle a civil servant, their spouse, and four biological children to access the programme’s healthcare benefits.
He added that a civil servant would begin to enjoy the programme after a three-month waiting period from the commencement of the deductions. The waiting period, according to him, is to allow for data capturing, uploading, and empanelment. He further noted that participants would also have the option of adding more family members to the scheme.
The Director General commended Governor Ahmad Aliyu for creating the enabling environment for the programme’s commencement and expressed optimism that it would achieve the desired results.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner of Finance, Engineer Jabbi Shagari, said the formal sector programme was specifically aimed at providing qualitative and accessible healthcare services to all cadres of state civil servants. He praised SOCHEMA’s management for making adequate preparations and acknowledged the support and cooperation of all stakeholders in ensuring the progress recorded so far.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Sokoto State chapter of the NLC, Abdullahi Aliyu Jungle, represented by his deputy, Comrade Yabo, reaffirmed the union’s readiness to ensure effective monitoring of the programme to guarantee strict adherence to all agreements reached.
It will be recalled that SOCHEMA, NLC, TUC, and their affiliates had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year for the commencement of the formal sector programme.
