From: Femi Mustapha in Kaduna
A Kaduna resident has publicly praised the Kaduna Contributory Health Management Authority, KADCHMA, for providing prompt and life-saving support through the state’s health insurance scheme, even as the agency operates under severe funding constraints.
In a personal account, civil society member and OGP enthusiast Yusuf Ishaku Goje shared his experience with the scheme, highlighting both the positive impact of contributory health insurance and the urgent need for increased budget releases to ensure its sustainability.
Goje mentioned that a pregnant patient under his care at Restoration Hospital had been accessing nearly free prenatal services through her KADCHMA enrollment.
“Before her insurance was formally transferred to the hospital, medical expenses were prohibitively high, but the moment the scheme kicked in, the financial relief was both immediate and significant,” he stated.
When the patient’s condition required an emergency referral for a Cesarean Section at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, the primary facility initiated the authorization request.
Goje said he contacted a KADCHMA staff member, Mallam Suleiman Mustapha, after noticing a slight delay.
“He was remarkably responsive, offering immediate assurances of prompt action. While he was reaching out to the official responsible for authorizations, the approval code was sent.
He still called back to explain the cause of the delay,” Goje recounted. He described the responsiveness as a departure from the bureaucratic apathy often associated with government agencies.
At Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, the documentation process was seamless, although Goje noted that poor attitudes from some overworked medical staff temporarily marred the experience.
He attributed the strain to understaffing and low morale, despite the state’s approval of the 2024 Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS. “I will be writing on healthcare services at the teaching hospital in the near future,” he added.
Despite the bottlenecks, Goje said the KADCHMA insurance covered the full cost of the Cesarean Section and delivery packs. Some prescribed drugs needed to be purchased externally due to temporary shortages, but the scheme still provided substantial cost savings.
He also met the KADCHMA Director General at the hospital, who asked for honest feedback and pledged that the agency would facilitate refunds for any verified out-of-pocket payments for covered services.
Goje’s praise comes amid concerns over low-budget releases to the agency. According to the 4th-quarter 2025 Kaduna State Budget Implementation Report, only 1.3% of the N4.5 billion approved for KADCHMA was released, totaling N60.5 million. Of that, N57.4 million went to personnel costs, leaving limited funds for operations. The trend persisted into the first quarter of 2026, with just 0.2% released.
The situation is dire in a state where out-of-pocket health expenditure stands at 84.9%, forcing many households below the poverty line. Goje emphasized that his experience reinforced the importance of health insurance for households struggling with poverty, unemployment, and underemployment.
“From this firsthand experience, I am firmly convinced that if the quality of services offered by our public health facilities is improved and the informal sector heavily adopts health insurance, Kaduna State will progress rapidly toward achieving universal health coverage,” he said.
He urged the Kaduna State Government to prioritize adequate, cash-backed budget releases to KADCHMA so the agency can fulfill its commitments to providers. He also called on residents, workers, and families to register with the scheme, describing KADCHMA as “both a cost-saving shield and a life-saving institution.”
Goje highlighted the human element — the responsiveness of KADCHMA staff and the proactive leadership of the Director General — and encouraged the agency to sustain that institutional culture.
