Kogi State Government has pledged to establish three primary healthcare centres in each of the 21 Local Government Areas in the state as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the rural areas.
The State Governor, Usman Ododo announced this while speaking at the flag off and commencement of the free health insurance scheme under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund in Kogi state.
Ododo expressed delight for the success so far recorded in the enrollment of civil servants in the formal sector healthcare plan and the enrollment of vulnerable and indigent population in the state under the basic heathcare provision fund in the state.
The occasion marked the launch of the access to healthcare for thirty-two thousand enrollees in the formal sector healthcare plan; Forty-One Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven enrollees in the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and launch of the Ten Years Strategic Plan of the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency.
Governor Ododo used the occasion to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support for the the government and people of Kogi State through the provision of basic healthcare provision fund to cater for the wellbeing of the people under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
According to Governor Ododo:“Mr. President has shown trust, confidence and belief in the capacity of the younger generation and this has provided a stable platform for the Kogi State government to deliver good governance to the people of the state.
“We cannot thank Mr. President enough for the various interventions in health and especially at the primary healthcare level through the Basic Healthcare Provision Funds (BHCPF) aimed at meeting the healthcare needs of the vulnerable and indigent Nigerians”
Ododo who commended his predecessor, former Governor Yahaha Bello for the bold initiative to set up the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, noted that the audacious efforts of his predecessor has become the solid foundation for the development of access to healthcare by a reasonable spectrum of the population of the state.
“I will also like to appreciate His Excellency. Alh. Yahaya Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, who took the bold and decisive step to establish the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency against all odds.
The huge investment made in the health sector has provided a solid foundation for us to build on to improve our health system and secure a healthier future for the good people of Kogi State”, Governor Ododo said.
The Governor assured that his administration will continue to consolidate on the strides achieved in the health sector by expanding access to healthcare and
revitalizing the Primary Health Care Centers across the state for improved service delivery to the people of Kogi State.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health Dr. Adams AbdulAzeez Adeiza stated that the launch of the acces to care programme in the state will mark the end of out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare in Kogi State.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Health Insurance, Dr. Aledare Adekunle said Kogi State has made a good start in the journey to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with about 122,046 already enrolled into the access to care programme in the state.
He assured that the agency will continue to implement its key strategies as documented in the 10 Years Strategic Plan to achieve 60% coverage of the state’s population in the next 10 years.
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
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