From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
The Government of Jigawa State has received the sum of N554,906,572.19 million for basic health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), NHIS Executive Secretary/CEO Prof Muhammed Nasir Sambo has indicated.
Prof Sambo made the disclosure at the flag-off of the enrollment for the basic health care provision fund at the Sakwaya health facility in the outskirts of Dutse, the state capital.
The NHIS CEO said the launching of the scheme opens avenues of succour and new possibilities for the people of the state.
Prof Sambo noted that section 11 of the National Health Act mandates the establishment of a basic health care provision fund to support the effective delivery of primary healthcare services as well as emergency medical treatment to all Nigerians.
He said NHIS will provide state agencies with technical and operational support especially in the areas of training, technology and programme development, adding that the scheme has been repositioned through a three-point rebranding agenda.
He said the scheme has also developed and begun the implementation of a ten-year strategic plan that is guaranteed to facilitate universal health coverage by the year 2030.
Jigawa State Deputy Governor Mallam Umar Namadi said the state has received the sum of N545.7 million from the NHIS-GATEWAY for free health care services
The deputy governor indicated that the bulk of the support will go to the most vulnerable person, including include pregnant women and people with special needs.
‘The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) will enable vulnerable populations at the 279 designated health centres across the 287 political wards to have access to defined free health care services without having to pay,’ he stated.
He explained that the amount released will cover 45,476 beneficiaries based on a N12,000 premium per individual, adding that each of the 287 political wards in the state would have 157 beneficiaries equitably.
The deputy governor further indicated that 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 the advanced stage by the state administration to sponsor the studies of 90 female students to study medicine in Sudan, in addition to 60 male students that are currently studying medicine in the People’s Republic of China.
Speaking, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, Dr Nura Ibrahim, stated that the Agency has already validated 120,540 people across the 287 political wards of the state from the state social register who will benefit from the programme.
