FG Enrolls Clients
FG Enrolls Clients in Niger for BHCPF
The enrolment of clients for the Basic Health Care Provision
Fund (“Huwe’ ) has commenced in Niger State.
Speaking at the ceremony, held yesterday, at the Airport Road
Clinic, Minna, Niger State, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac
Adewole said that rolling out the programme was the climax of all
government’s efforts geared towards improving access to quality and
affordable healthcare to all Nigerians.
He also stated that implementing the programme would improve the
Nigeria’s health indicators, nutrition, fight infant and child
mortality, guarantee adequate and sustainable financing of basic
minimum package of primary health care services in the Country.
The Minister therefore commended the Executive Governor of Niger
State, His Excellency Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and “the good
people of Niger State for witnessing the dawn of a new era on
health care delivery in the Country”.
Philosophically, Adewole said ‘I see a new Nigeria where every
pregnant woman is assured of being alive to see a live baby, every
child born is assured of
a long healthy life and every one of us will age gracefully’
In his address, Governor Bello, represented by the Deputy
Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Kesto, said that
kick starting the BHCPF enrolment in Niger State had proven that FG
had matched her promises with actions.
He added that it further demonstrated government’s resolve to do
things differently to achieve better results.
Bello pledged to continuously complement FG’s efforts while
appreciating the Minister of Health for his commitment to improving
the health of Nigerians and taking Niger State health sector to
greater heights..
Welcoming guests to the occasion earlier, the Commissioner of
Health, Niger State, Dr. Mustapha Mohammed Jibrin described the
event as an important milestone in the quest for Universal Health
Coverage(UHC) as envisioned by the National Health Act.
Dr. Jibrin said he was elated because Niger State stood as one
of the three Pioneer States to benefit from the initiative which
had the potential to radically transform how health care services
were delivered and funded in the Country.
He informed that apart from the BHCPF enrolment, the State was
also unveiling critical Primary Health Care(PHC) equipment(SDD
refrigerators, Hilux vans and motorcycles). These, he said, were
targeted at strengthening routine immunization services as well as
monitoring and supporting supervision of health sector programmes
and projects in hard to reach areas in the State.
With Niger State, having the largest land mass and the highest
number of hard to reach communities in the federation, the
importance of the equipment could not be over emphasised, Dr.
Jibril explained.
The Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Etsu
Nupe, Alhaji (Dr.) Yahaya Abubakar, represented by Wambai Nupe,
Engineer Abdullahi Nnagi, while appreciating the Federal government
for implementing the programme in Niger, appealed for ambulances to
be made available for the conveyance of Health commodities to where
they were needed.
The Overseeing Director, National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr.
Ben omogo, the Representatives of the Executive Secretary, National
Primary Health Care Development Agency of Health, the WHO, Bill and
Melinda Gates foundation, Pharmacists Foundations, HERFON and other
health sector development partners gave good will messages at the
occasion.
Boade Akinola,
Director Media and Public Relations,
.