THE Karamajiji community, a suburb of Abuja, has lauded Bells Echo Initiative, an NGO, for inaugurating a Community Based Social Health Insurance Scheme (CBSHIP) for the physically challenged in the area.
Mr Yunusa Bako, District Head of karamajiji, have the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Karamajiji on Monday.
He said that the inauguration of the scheme was a reflection of the NGO’s commitment to support the vulnerable in the community.
Bako noted that the people, especially the physically challenged in the community, had to go far to access health care at a high rate said before the scheme.
The community leader expressed delight that the presence of the scheme had made accessing health care facility easy for the people concerned.
“I am joyous about this project; especially by the way the NGO is trying to help the physically challenged in our community.
“We also appreciate the NHIS and the Bells Echo Initiative for coming up with the initiative.
‘’With this scheme, the lives of the physically challenged in our community will be better.
“We will do our best to support the programme and ensure its sustainability.’’
Mr Usaini Mohammed, Chairman, FCT Blind People Association, who also spoke with NAN thanked the sponsors of the scheme.
According to him, the coming of the project is apt and portends a ray of hope for the physically challenged in the community, adding that benefactors are happy about it.
Mr Mohammed Dantani, Secretary, Board of Trustees for the project, also expressed happiness for the inauguration of the project.
Dantani said that a subsidised healthcare system such as the scheme would go a long way to assist the people in terms of health care delivery.
He called on well-meaning Nigerians and the government to further support the scheme, to move the health sector forward.
According to him, the people of the community will record less of typhoid and malaria cases and get closer to health facility with the presence of the scheme.
Mr Abbey Bello, President of the NGO, said the scheme was his contribution to making life bearable for the vulnerable in the community.
Bello said, ‘’It is a thing of joy as the physically challenged can now attend healthcare centre without any economic barrier,’’ he said.
He expressed optimism that the scheme would reduce prevalence of communicable diseases which had been plaguing the community for so long.