Kano state contributory healthcare management agency (KSCHMA), has approved the enrollment of more beneficiaries of the basic healthcare provision fund (BHCPF), to promote inclusive access to health services.
The approval was sequel to an advocacy letter, signed by coalition of citizens groups which comprises of CSOs, PWDs, WDCs dated 23rd August 2022, supported by PERL(ECP),addressed to the executive secretary Kano state contributory health care management agency (KSCHMA) Dr. Halima Mijinyawa.
The advocacy of the coalition was centred around increase in number of beneficiaries, to reduce out of pocket expenditure to access health care services.
However, another letter was sent to the Kano state ministry of finance by the group, seeking for the status of 1% consolidated Revenue fund (CRF), to address vulnerable package for contributory beneficiaries.
In a circular obtained by Radio Nigeria in Kano,a large percentage of people living with special needs and vulnerable groups, are being enrolled across the forty four local government areas.
Comrade Abdralrazak Ado Zango, the General Secretary Nigeria Association of the Blind Kano state chapter, who spoke to Radio Nigeria explained that they advocated for the increment due to the fact that, despite the total number of 3,474 forms allocated to the 9 PWD, leprosy survivors were not enrolled into the BHCPF scheme.
He maintained that, discrimination against people with special needs,choice of health facilities, failure to refer spinal cord injury patients to facilities, are some of the challenges bedeviling the scheme.
“We are calling in KSCHMA to ensure continuous orientation of health workers to change their attitudes towards PWDs”
Also speaking,Ward development committee (WDC) chairman, Nasarawa local government area, Malam Bashir Adamu Jigirya, attributed the success to the support and dedication of PERL (ECP), in uplifting the standards of living among citizens through ensuring good governance.
He attributed national identification number (NIN)submission by beneficiaries, as one of the catalysts to the slow pace of program, where new born babies were not enrolled
due to failure of their mothers forward their NIN numbers.
” The agency should ensure that data captured reflects beneficiaries referred to the facilities by WDCs”.
He commended Kano state government through KSCHMA for the prompt response,and Partnership to Engage Reform and learn (PERL) for the support, saying that BHCPF has improved the health of the vulnerable and people with special needs.
Radio Nigeria reports that, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) was established under section 11 of the National Health Act, as a catalytic funding to improve access to primary health care.
KHADIJAH ALIYU