Taraba flags off e-referral, secondary referral health insurance services

The Taraba State government on Friday flagged off the E-Referral and Claims Management System alongside the Secondary Referral Component of the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, TSCHIS.

The flag off, held in Jalingo, was described as a major milestone in strengthening access to quality healthcare while improving transparency, efficiency and accountability in service delivery.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Contributory Health Insurance Agency TSCHIA, Pharmacist Jacobs Akenzukpi, said the new initiative would enhance healthcare delivery by ensuring seamless referrals across primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities.

Akenzukpi recalled that the agency was established under Law No. 6 of 2019 and inaugurated on December 3, 2020, with the mandate of providing financial protection and quality healthcare services to residents, particularly vulnerable groups such as children under five, pregnant women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.

He disclosed that TSCHIA operates a contributory funding model supported by the federal and state governments as well as development partners, and has so far enrolled more than 112,000 residents across the state’s 168 political wards.

According to him, the E-Referral and Claims Management System will digitally link healthcare facilities at all levels, ensuring that enrollees receive timely and appropriate care whenever referrals are required.

Akenzukpi noted that Taraba State, with a population of over 3.6 million people, has 772 public primary healthcare facilities, 16 public secondary healthcare facilities and three public tertiary health institutions, all of which are to be integrated into the digital referral platform.

He explained that the innovation would improve data management, reduce operational costs, enhance accuracy and expand access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural communities.

“The e-referral and claims management system is inevitable in linking enrollees across the three levels of healthcare delivery. It will drive efficiency, transparency and improved access to care,” he said.

Emphasizing that the agency is also working to operationalize additional health plans for both the formal and informal sectors to expand coverage.

On his path, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, described the launch of the secondary referral services as a landmark achievement in line with Governor Agbu Kefas’ Five-Finger Agenda, which prioritizes human capital development, social protection and improved service delivery.

Buma said the initiative represents a practical step toward universal health coverage by ensuring residents can access needed health services without financial hardship.

He outlined key targets of the scheme, including expanding health insurance coverage to at least 80 per cent of the state’s population, reducing out-of-pocket healthcare spending and improving the quality of care through accredited secondary healthcare facilities.

The commissioner added that the secondary referral component would ensure continuity of care for enrollees whose conditions cannot be managed at the primary healthcare level, while promoting equity and accountability within the health system.

Both officials reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to making Taraba a hub for quality healthcare, reducing out-of-pocket expenses and providing financial protection for the poorest and most vulnerable residents.

They called on healthcare workers to render services with professionalism and compassion, urged residents to enroll in the scheme, and appealed to stakeholders and development partners to sustain support for ongoing health sector reforms.

They also expressed confidence that the new digital referral and secondary care system would significantly transform healthcare delivery in the state and improve the wellbeing of its people.