Former Senate President Bukola Saraki on Sunday enrolled 1,000 beneficiaries in Community Health Insurance Scheme in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

The insurance scheme which is the first of its kind by an individual was put together by the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme, Saraki who attended the ceremony with his wife, Toyin, said the insurance scheme was established to ensure that people in the state live healthy.

“Any population that is healthy is productive. We believe in the health sector and we believe in healthy population,” he said.

The former Senate President said that he introduced community health insurance in Kwara state in 2007 when he was the governor of the state and that the idea was later implemented by the Federal Government as the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“In 2018 when I was the Senate President, I ensured that one per cent of the budget estimate for the health sector goes to the health insurance scheme for the first time in the history of the country,” he said.

He appealed to community leaders to key into investing in health insurance adding that “if community leaders can do this and invest in community health, we will achieve 100 per cent in health care delivery in the country.”

The Coordinator of the Insurance Scheme in ABS Foundation, Dr Bukola Shitu-Muideen, explained that the community health insurance scheme was aimed at achieving equitable, affordable and quality health for the people including those in rural areas.

“It is part of the efforts to support the informal sector of the society because beneficiaries would enjoy free treatment for ailments such as malaria, typhoid, diabetes and minor and intermediate surgery for the patients.

Shitu-Muideen said that pregnant women would also enjoy free antenatal and delivery services in all health facilities in the state.

She said, “All beneficiaries are free to receive treatment in both government and private hospitals as the foundation has paid for their treatment.”

The coordinator said that 5,000 people would benefit from the scheme adding that the pilot scheme which was launched on Sunday only started with 1,000 beneficiaries selected from the 16 local government areas across the state.