The FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) on Saturday announced plans to set-up insurance desks in major markets of the territory to boost enrolment into the scheme.

The FCT Director of the FHIS, Dr Ahmed Danfulani, disclosed this to newsmen during a sensitisation campaign on the need for residents of the federal capital to embrace the scheme.

Danfulani said the sensitisation campaign was designed to capture the informal sector.

The sensitisation campaign took-off from FHIS Office in Central Area, Abuja, down to Garki and Wuse markets.

Danfulani said that a lot of people believed that health insurance was only made for civil servants or the formal sector.

“This sensitisation is meant to change that believe and encourage people from the informal sector to key in,” he explained.

He said that the agency was out to enlighten the people that the scheme was not only for civil servants but for everyone, regardless of the kind of job such a person was doing.

Danfulani noted that majority of Nigerians were unaware of the scheme and its benefits.

“We need to come and sensitise them so that they will also benefit from the health insurance, especially from all the goodies that health insurance carries.

“There are so many challenges that are already on ground as regards the provision of services between FHIS and the National Health Insurance Scheme, owned by Federal Government. We are here to correct some of these notions.

“We are aware of some of these challenges and we are working on them, these are part of the reasons for the sensitisation,” he said.

On the aspect of response to the scheme, Danfulani stated that enrolment had improved in the recent time, compared to the records in the last two to three years.

He said the last two to three years only witnessed the registration of many FCT civil servants, adding that individuals as well as companies are now registering.

He therefore encourage individuals, particularly residents of FCT, to go and register with just N13,500 and enjoy all the healthcare benefits within the period of one year.

Mrs Jamima Abulele, the Manager of Garki market, Abuja Market Management Ltd (AMML), thanked FHIS for the public enlightenment.

She said that the idea would encourage many Nigerians to access healthcare.

“This will assist every Nigerian, particularly the less privileged in the FCT. It will make them to have access to quality healthcare; we appreciate this innovation.

“It is not easy for people to have access to quality healthcare with just token money, with this now, you will have access to all that you desire,” she stressed.

Hajia Rabi Abdullahi, a beneficiary of the scheme for the past two years, commended FHIS, noting that the benefits are wonderful.

She commended the initiative, saying that she had not encountered any challenge since she started patronising FHIS.