Enugu State Offers Health Insurance to Market Traders

The Enugu State Agency for Universal Health Coverage has launched a health insurance scheme for traders in the state. This program will help them get good, affordable healthcare services.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Union of Market Traders Employers of Nigeria to kick off the scheme.

At the event in Enugu on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Edith Okolo, called the agreement a big step toward helping traders who often miss out on healthcare services.

Ms Okolo mentioned that each trader will pay an annual fee of N12,000 to join the health insurance plan. The traders' union will collect this fee as part of the regular dues and send it to the agency.

“Instead of paying large amounts when they get sick, registered traders will pay an annual fee of N12,000 each and get access to a healthcare package that costs much more than the fee.

“The union will enroll its members, collect the fees, and send them to us. We will give out identity cards that allow them to go to any of our approved healthcare providers and settle their bills.

“We also plan to extend the scheme to cover family members because you cannot separate a trader from their family,” she said.

Ms Okolo said this partnership shows that the state government wants to make sure market traders, who often feel overlooked, can get quality and affordable medical care.

“We are here today to sign this important Memorandum of Understanding with the National Union of Market Traders Employers of Nigeria. We believe this partnership will bring healthcare closer to market traders.

“We are telling them they are not forgotten or neglected. This government is dedicated to giving them quality and affordable healthcare,” she added.

The ESA-UHC boss emphasized that both organizations would work together to make sure the scheme succeeds. She said the success of the partnership will show how well it works.

She also said the agency set up a 24-hour control room and a toll-free line for beneficiaries to report any issues they face while getting healthcare.

According to her, feedback from users is very important for improving services and holding healthcare providers accountable.

“We also train our accredited healthcare providers every quarter to make sure they keep quality standards and treat beneficiaries with respect,” she said.

Ms Okolo added that those enrolled in the scheme can choose any accredited healthcare provider they want instead of being sent to a specific place.

“The choice belongs to the beneficiary. We believe that allowing people to choose where they get care also pushes healthcare providers to improve their services,” she said.

The Chairman of the traders’ union in Enugu State, Ezeoha Eneh, praised the state government and ESA-UHC for starting this partnership. He called it an important support for low-income traders.

Mr Eneh believes that many market traders will join the program. He said that the union will carry out awareness campaigns across markets in the state.

“Health insurance is one way the Enugu State Government is reaching out to poor people, especially traders. Many avoid going to the hospital because they cannot afford it.

“With this program, our members will no longer hide their illnesses due to lack of money. We will educate traders in all markets to support the scheme, and we will not disappoint the agency,” he said.

He acknowledged that while the N12,000 annual fee might seem high to some traders, it is still affordable compared to paying for medical treatment from their own pockets.

The union treasurer, Cyprian Okoloye, also praised ESA-UHC for being open and accountable. Mr Okoloye called on the agency to keep responding quickly to beneficiaries, especially during emergencies. He noted that being transparent and communicating well will enhance public trust in the program.

He is hopeful that this partnership will greatly improve access to healthcare for traders and help the state's universal health coverage program succeed.