Kaduna state Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a medical supply consortium for affordable drugs supply and availability to achieve maximum success in the implementation of the state health management scheme.
Director General of the State Contributory Health Management Agency KACHMA Mallam Abubakar Hassan stated this while reacting to reports of inadequate drugs at public health facilities in Kaura local government area of the state.
He said the state government in line with the Millennium Development Goals of Universal Health Coverage launched a health insurance scheme aim at cutting out of pocket expenses, reduce maternal mortality and generally create a healthy society for the residents.
According to Mallam Abubakar Hassan, more than five hundred thousand persons from the formal and the informal sectors including vulnerable groups have subscribed to benefit from the scheme and the government was committed to enroll all the residents.
Radio Nigeria had earlier visited Manchok community in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state where residents expressed happiness with the programme but identified drug scarcity as a factor hampering against its successful implementation.
Some beneficiaries including Mr. Emmanuel Koya and Mrs. Anna Makama expressed satisfaction with the programme but lamented inadequacy of drugs supply is at the facility.
They also complained that it was very difficult for people to transfer their services to preferred health facility and lack grievance redress mechanism to channel their complaints.
Mr. Bature Yusuf said he now spends less on medical bills than before the programme was introduced.
Traditional leader of the area Dakachi Markus Achai commended the programme but said as leaders of the society, they were not consulted at the inception for their inputs and called for sincerity of purpose and its successful implementation
Reacting, Mallam Abubakar Hassan said some of the issues identified are usually teething problems that will soon be overcome.
He emphasized that the programme will be expanded to all residents of the state towards achieving the MDGs in the health sector.
The Chairperson of Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Mechanism KADSPAC Jessica Bartholomew while speaking on the scheme said it was well designed in line with the Social protection programmes to bridge the gap between the rich and poor towards access to adequate health needs.
While commending the agency for its achievements within the last two years, Jessica said just like every other programme there was need for government to look at areas of concerns and make improvements for optimal performance and in fulfilment of the mandate which the scheme was meant to achieve.
Cover/Shindong Bala
