GOVERNOR Muhammad Umar Jibrilla says the achievement of the Universal Health coverage through the provision of quality and affordable health care to the people of Adamawa State Is key to sustainable development.
The Governor stated this during the official launching of the Adamawa State Health Insurance Scheme (HIS) held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House Yola recently.
While launching the scheme, Governor Muhammad Jibrilla explained that the scheme will move Adamawa State closer to its goals of achieving universal health care coverage to its financially underprivileged citizens.
The Governor revealed that the achievements being recorded by his administration from 2015 to 2019 has set a strong foundation for the delivery of Health care services to the people of Adamawa State.
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He also explained that his government has recorded a lot of successes in the Health sector by employing 2,307 various health workers, production of skilled workforce and improvement of planning and coordination in the health sector, explaining that the scheme was established over a year ago when the State Government signed a contract agreement with PHARM ACCESS FOUNDATION.
Earlier in her remarks, the Honourable Commissioner Ministry of Health Dr Fatima Atiku Abubakar said that the Health Insurance Scheme was introduced to tackle the magnitude of challenges facing Health care delivery and access in the state.
According to Dr Fatima Atiku, the scheme was aimed at giving solutions to tackle about Seventy-two per cent residents of the state who lives in rural areas.
She also revealed that the Adamawa State Government has set aside an initial sum of Six Hundred Million Naira as capitalisation of the state Health Insurance fund in 2019 Budget.
The Health Commissioner also said that the new Law passed by the State House of Assembly has committed government to contribute One per cent of the annual consolidated revenue fund to pay for the poorest of the society through an equity fund, stressing that this will result in the availability of sufficient funds to pay for the Health care insurance premiums of poor pregnant women, Children and Men in the state.
Dr Fatima Atiku also revealed that Adamawa residents would soon begin to enjoy the benefit of the scheme that includes Maternal and Child care services, Emergency care services and minor surgeries among others.
She, however, noted that the Insurance Scheme would cover all citizens of the state irrespective of their socio-economic status, Gender or Ageto access quality and affordable health care services at all times.
Governor Muhammad Jibrilla later inaugurated members of the Board which includes Barrister Bala Silas Sanga as Chairman, Hajiya Halima Shuaibu Secretary, Pharmacist Peter Z Kwage as member and the representatives from the Ministries of Health, Finance and Budget, Justice, Office of the Head of Civil Service, NLC, National Health Insurance as well as Nigeria Employee Consultative Association.
