No fewer than 38,680 residents across Cross River State have enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, out of a target of 150,000 set for 2026.
The Director-General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA), Godwin Iyala, disclosed this in Calabar while providing an update on the agency’s activities over the past year.
Iyala explained that the current enrolment figure reflects only beneficiaries who possess a National Identification Number (NIN), following the agency’s migration to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund 2.0, which mandates NIN for all enrollees.
According to him, individuals who had previously registered without NIN were removed from the database, ensuring proper tracking and accountability within the scheme.
He noted that beneficiaries are spread across various categories, including the public sector, informal sector, and vulnerable groups. Enrollees are currently accessing healthcare services through 196 accredited facilities located across the state’s 196 electoral wards.
The agency, he added, has commenced moves to expand coverage into tertiary institutions under the Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP).
Iyala highlighted that CRSHIA has fully digitalized its operations to improve efficiency, transparency, and ease of access to healthcare services.
He urged healthcare providers to maintain professionalism in delivering services to boost public confidence in the scheme.
The DG attributed the agency’s progress to the support of Governor Bassey Otu and his wife, Eyoanwan Otu, who serves as an ambassador for the programme.
He revealed that the First Lady personally sponsored the enrolment of 500 elderly persons into the scheme.
Despite the gains, Iyala identified challenges such as inadequate funding, logistics constraints, limited human resources, and low enrolment due to lack of NIN among residents.
He, however, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to achieving universal health coverage in the state, while encouraging more individuals to support vulnerable persons by enrolling them in the scheme.
