From Umar Danladi Ado,Sokoto
The Sokoto State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, SOCHEMA, in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, has organized a one-day sensitization workshop for the leadership of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce.
The workshop, aimed at scaling up informal sector enrolment in Sokoto State, drew participants from clusters of business communities under the auspices of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce.
Declaring the workshop open, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruku Umar Abubakar Wurno, said it aims to sensitize and create awareness among the business community in order to make them understand the role, functions and importance of establishing the Agency.
According to him, SOCHEMA is an Agency established to provide easily accessible and qualitative healthcare to individuals and their families. It is also designed to provide support to the less privileged, individuals and children in order to have better health indices.
The Director General of SOCHEMA, Yusuf Abu Abdulkarim, explained in detail the objective of the workshop.
On the expected outcome after the workshop, the Director General urged participants to accept the programme by enrolling in the scheme along with their families.
Speaking, the President of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce, Yakubu Ma’aji, called on the participants to be good ambassadors of the programme for the realization of the set objectives.
In his address, the Special Adviser on SOCHEMA, Ahmad Rufa’i Abubakar, extolled the leadership of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce for showing determination to enroll into the informal sector programme.
Abubakar then assured that the Agency will spare no effort in achieving the expected number of enrollees.
Other speakers included the Special Adviser on SSPHDA, Dr. Bello Marnona, DG SOSMEA, Dr. Namadina Ibrahim, DG DSMA, Pharmacist Umar Attahiru and ES SOSMEA, Hajiya Luba Hassan, among other stakeholders.
The event featured questions and answers, contributions from participants as well as an overview of SOCHEMA’s activities by its Directors.
