By Hassan Zaggi
The Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Mohammed Sambo, has formally launched the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), in Jigawa State.
This is even as the Scheme is targeting 20 million Nigerians annually in the course of 10 years.
The BHCPF, according to him, is part of the overall effort to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
Provided for in section 11 of the National Health Act (NHA) of 2014, Sambo said, the BHCPF guarantees the application of 1% of Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for funding of primary health care.
According to Sambo, the commencement of the enrollment of beneficiaries under the BHCPF is an indication of the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to ensure that all Nigerians irrespective of their social status have access to qualitative and affordable health care services.
Speaking at the occasion, the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, represented by his deputy, Malam Umar Namadi, said that the commencement of enrollment was an important milestone in the pursuit of quality health care for citizens of the state, maintaining that the state government was committed to raising the health indices of residents of the state.
The Jigawa State government, he revealed, had granted sponsorship to 60 citizens of the state to study medicine in China to bridge the human resource gap in the health care delivery system of the state, adding that a second batch of trainees are waiting in line to benefit from the medical course.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the state ministry of health, Dr Salisu Muazu, disclosed that that 420 people would be registered at the occasion to signal the start off while enrollment will be conducted throughout the 279 political wards in the state.
A statement by the Head, Media and Public Relations (PR) Unit of the NHIS, Emmanuel Ononokpono, quoted the Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Contributory Health Care Management Agency, Dr Nura Ibrahim, as saying that the state began to draw funding under the programme since 2019.
Over N500m, according to him, had so far been received by the state.
