National Health Insurance Scheme And Health Care Demand In Cross River State: A Case Study Of Calabar Metropolis
EFFIONG, CHARLES EFEFIOM
Department Of Economics, Faculty Of Social Sciences, University Of Calabar, Calabar
AYAYA, EFFIONG EFFIONG
Department Of Economics, Faculty Of Social Sciences, University Of Calabar, Calabar
Keywords: NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME, HEALTHCARE, HEALTHCARE DEMAND, HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
Abstract
The objective of the study is to assess the role of national health insurance scheme on health care demand in Calabar Metropolis. The study employed the survey design to assess the role of national health insurance scheme on health care demand. The study consists of one hundred and fifty eight (248) health personnel and management staff randomly drawn from the population. A well-structured questionnaire was used in obtaining the data. In testing the hypotheses, all the calculated chi-square values were greater than the critical chi-square value at the given level of significance and degree of freedom. This results in rejecting the null hypotheses while the alternative hypotheses were retained. From the findings, it has been established that significant relationship exist between health care demands, health care delivery, socio-economic conditions and national health insurance scheme in Cross River State. It is concluded that the government in order to be sustainable in its developmental strive must strengthen its National Health Insurance Scheme to enhance the welfare of the people in the metropolis. The study among others recommended the expansion in the scope of the scheme in order to enhance health care demand in Calabar metropolis in particular and Nigeria in general; the government should promptly respond to the health care demand in Cross River State which is high; increase spending on health care provisions as well as improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the people through private-public partnership in the health sector.