Zamfara State Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle has declared that as part of his passion of strengthening health care system in the state his administration has trained 600 health care providers on basic health’s care provision funds across the state.
The Governor who declared this at the formal inauguration of of the head office of the contributory Health Care Management Office in Gusau the state capital on Tuesday said, the Agency has also developed an enrolment programme for both the formal and the informal sectors as well as operational guidelines.
The Governor noted that the urgency for an insurance scheme on health is underscored by the fact that most families and individuals cannot afford to settle the bills on healthcare, most especially in the sub-Saharan Africa.
According to Matawalle social statistics have shown that over 74% of Nigerians pay for healthcare through their meagre earnings adding that, In some states, the proportion ranges from 85-92% based on estimates from the World Health Organisation.
The Governor said, the desire to ensure universal and quality healthcare for all will remain a mirage without decisive intervention and support by the government.
The Governor said, his administration has observed that, health insurance alone is not a panacea to the problem of lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare unless if the required health facilities are provided.
“Today’s occasion is a further demonstration of our commitment and compliance with global Health Insurance Policy and International best practice. Our health insurance agency will provide an efficient and sustainable mechanism for pooling of resources to finance healthcare services, thereby reducing out-of-pocket medical expenditure through various prepayments”, Matawalle added.
“I am pleased to note that the Agency has reached full potential and capacity to implement the scheme to all residents of Zamfara State irrespective of their status. All Zamfara Civil Servants and pensioners and their families will be enrolled under the formal Sector Enrolment Program” the Governor added.
In the development of health care system in the state his government have made modest efforts in the sector which include the supply of 23 ambulances to health care facilities across the State, and construction of new Women and Children Clinics in all the 14 Local Governments of the State.
He further said his administration is currently constructing 147 Primary Healthcare Centres across the rural areas of the State at the cost of N2,239,772,850.00.
He added that, each of the 50-beds capacity hospitals would be provided with an ambulance for transporting patients to the hospital from remote location apart from reducing the hardship of moving patients from rural facilities to the secondary health facilities except on very serious health issues.
Again, Matawalle said he hqs awarded the contract for the completion of Shinkafi Referral Hospital at the cost of N2,765,282,910.20 this is beside construction and equipping of General Hospital, Kagara.
On the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic in the country, the Governor said he has undertaken the upgrading, expansion, renovation and equipping of isolation centres provided at Damba, Kasuwar Daji General Hospital and Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital. This is in addition to the procurement of ventilators, hand sanitisers, hand gloves, face masks, test kits, personal protective equipment and consumables for the centres.
As part of the broader strategy put in place by Zamfara State Government in prompt response to this pandemic, we established sample collection booths at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau, which is the largest zero-contact testing centre in Nigeria.
In the new programme the Iformal sector the formal Sector will cover 17% of the Enrolment while the remainibg 83% will be covered by the vulnerable groups, children, women, the aged, people with special needs and the poorest of the poor as well as the private sector, organised communities, students and staff of tertiary Institutions..
The Governor call on all the category of individuals eligible for enrolment under the informal sector to grab this splendid opportunity of health insurance for them and their families.
