ISSN: 2642-6250
Authors: Lawal N*, Safana MT, Abdulsamad H, Bature M, Maikaka MK and Ihsan IS
Background: The Katsina State Contributory Health Care Management Agency (KTSCHMA) is visualized as one of the single most powerful social security interventions in the State’s effort geared toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The Agency is designed to provide a cost-effective comprehensive healthcare delivery system for employees of formal sectors, self-employed, poor, and vulnerable groups. This study was conducted to assess the perceived benefit, problems and suggested ways of improving the scheme among civil servants in Katsina state, Nigeria. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted among 393 state civil servants. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique and data was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 2.5 to obtain frequencies, means, and standard deviation. Results: The majority 53.8% of the respondents had reported reduced out-of-pocket expenditure as the major perceived benefit of the scheme, 20.9% easy access to healthcare service delivery, 13.2% availability of quality drugs, 9.3% affordable healthcare delivery, 2.6% short waiting time and 0.2% reported the benefit of the scheme is to achieve universal health coverage. Regarding the scheme perceived problems, almost half 50.5% of the respondents indicated the unavailability of most prescribed drugs as the main problem, and the majority 54.4% reported regular monitoring of the scheme operations by the Agency as the main way of improving the scheme. Conclusions: Reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and easy access to qualitative healthcare service delivery is the main enrollee perceived benefit of the scheme and the finding in this study show the high level of out-of-stock of prescribed drugs. Major suggestions proffered by enrolees for improving the scheme covered were regular monitoring of Healthcare Providers, provision of drugs and consumables, sensitization workshops on the modus operandi of the scheme, prompt response to enrollee complaints, and continuous review of the policy.
Keywords: Contributory Scheme; Perception and Enrolees
