No fewer than 200 journalists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been enrolled in the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS), marking a significant step toward improving healthcare access for media professionals in the nation’s capital.

The initiative was unveiled during the official launch of the health insurance programme by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, with stakeholders calling on philanthropists, political office holders, religious leaders and business leaders to sponsor additional journalists under the scheme.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, urged well-meaning individuals to support the welfare of journalists by purchasing health insurance coverage for them.

“Basic healthcare is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” Fasawe said. “Health is a collective responsibility and must be achievable, affordable and accessible to all.” She emphasised that supporting journalists’ healthcare would strengthen the media’s role in society.

“My purpose of coming here today is to ask political office holders, religious leaders and individuals who want their voices to be heard to buy health insurance for a journalist,” she said.