Cov/Usman MZ, Jigawa
Jigawa state government has received over 554 million naira for basic health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS.
The Executive Secretary of the NHIS Professor Mohammed Nasir Sambo stated this at the flag-off of the enrollment for basic healthcare provision fund at the Sakwaya health facility outskirt of Dutse, the jigawa state capital.
According to him, the flagging off of the scheme marks the commencement of the window of new possibilities for people of the state.
Professor Sambo said section 11 of the National Health Act mandated the establishment of a basic health care provision fund to support effective delivery of primary healthcare services as well as emergency medical treatment to all nigerians.
He pointed out that NHIS shall provide state health agencies with technical and operational support especially in the areas of training, technology and programme development. Adding that the scheme had been repositioned through a 3 point rebranding agenda.
He said the NHIS also developed and began the implementation of a ten year strategic plan that guaranteed and facilitate universal health coverage by the year 2030.
In a speech, Governor Badaru Abubakar, represented by his deputy Mallam Umar Namadi said the state had received N545.7m from NHIS-GATEWAY for free healthcare services.
The Governor stressed that the bulk of the support would go to the most vulnerable persons including pregnant women and people with special needs.
He said the Basic Health Provision Fund would also enable vulnerable populations at the 279 designated health centers across the 287 political wards to have access to defined free healthcare services without having to pay.
Alhaji Badaru explained that the amount released would cover 45, 476 beneficiaries based on N12,000 premium per individual, and that each of the 287 political wards would have 157 beneficiaries equitably.
He said 287 would be reserved for social rehabilitation homes, while urging NHIS to communicate to Jigawa State Contributory HealthCare Management Agency JICHMA on the provisional accreditation of the 279 state PHC facilities participating in the program to avoid delay.
According to him, arrangements are in advanced stage to sponsor 90 female students to study medicine in Sudan, in addition to other 60 male students currently studying medicine in the the Republic of China.
Earlier, the Executive secretary Jigawa state contributory health care management agency, Dr Nura Ibrahim the agency had already validated 120,540 people across the 287 political wards from the state social register who would benefit from the program.
END/USMAN MZ