Dr Babagana Tijjani, Executive Secretary, Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA) says the agency has so far enrolled over 17,000 poor people under its Social Equity Programme (SEP).
In a statement by the Agency’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Suleiman Bakoro, in Damaturu, on Friday, Tijjani stated this at a workshop on utilization of Basic Healthcare Provision Funds (BHPF).
He said that Gov. Mai Mala Buni recently approved N200 million for the implementation of the programme, would fast track the attainment of Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).
Tijjani noted that the SEP was one of the numerous programmes initiated by the governor to enhance access to free and qualitative healthcare services by the people.
On the BHCPF, the executive secretary said, the programme, jointly funded by the state and the Federal Government, also targeted the poor and vulnerable.
He said as at Aug. 25, the agency had paid capitations of 22,024 beneficiaries, adding that the figure represented “97.9% of BHCPF coverage target based on available funds disbursed through the NHIS gateway”.
Tijjani thanked the NHIS for organizing the workshop meant to build the capacity of the management and staff of the agency to perform their duties more effectively.
In his remarks, the state NHIS Co-ordinator, Mr Abubakar Dabo, said that the objective of the workshop was to bring all stakeholders together to discuss implementation and utilization of the BHCPF.
He charged YSCHMA to ensure that operational guidelines were strictly adhered to in the utilisation of the funds.(NAN)