Plateau lawmakers shun health insurance

The Director-General, Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA), Dr. Fabong Jemchang, has said that except the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Idris Wase, no Plateau legislator, federal or state, has deemed it necessary to buy health insurance.

Jemchang disclosed this, yesterday, during an interface with the media on ‘Security Community Sustainability’ in Jos.

His words: “The importance of health insurance cannot be over-emphasised, as it protects beneficiaries from unexpected high medical cost. In some cases, you get free preventive care such as vaccination, screening and checks, even before you meet your deductible.

“It must have been in realisation of this significance that Governor Simon Lalong established PLASCHEMA in 2019 and saddled it with the responsibility of ensuring that all citizens have access to preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services of sufficient quality, while ensuring that the people don’t suffer financial hardship when paying for health services.”

According to him, the politicians are expected, as obtainable in democratic climes, on their own, to see the need to take advantage of the services of the agency to better the lives of their constituents.

But that seems not to be the case, considering the lamentation of the PLASCHEMA boss: “We have visited the National Assembly more than seven times. We have given them forms and account details, but no response. In the House of Representatives, only Wase has bought forms for his people. Others kept promising.”

Jemchang said it was ironic that the legislators do not believe in what they were instrumental in its creation.

“Imagine! How can you create something you do not believe in?” he wondered.

He took a swipe at the lawmakers in particular and politicians in general for deliberately not meeting the needs of the people, but choose to embark on programmes that do not have direct bearing on the lives of the people.