Healthcare: Ogun state government pays N200million grant for basic healthcare, says Governor Abiodun

Dapo Elujoba,Ibrahim Zainab, Blessing Isaac,Samiat Sobogun, Oluwabusola Obadina,Feranmi Adeniran(Interns)

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has formally launched take off of  Basic Health Care Provision Fund, disclosing that his administration has paid up a total sum of N200 million grant to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund as part of its resolve to take  advantage of the health scheme in the state.

Penpushing reports that, Abiodun  at the launch on Thursday  held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, explained that the  take-off  scheme was another step towards capturing the all-important sector in the social health safety.

“While our administration will continue to ensure that affordable and sustainable health care delivery system is provided in Ogun State, it is also imperative that we make it easily accessible to all our people’, he said.

‘It is for this reason that we are gathered here today to launch the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as an effective gateway to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the formal take-off of Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme towards improving the wellbeing, wellness and welfare of the people of Ogun State’, Abiodun added.

“The BHCPF is a social health intervention fund that is targeted at providing basic health care services to the vulnerable crop of people – such as pregnant women and children under-5, as well as the indigent people in the society’, he stated.

‘Let me assure that with the formal launch of BHCPF, the basic health care services will be provided to these categories of people that have been registered by the Ogun State Health Insurance Agency at no cost”, the governor stated.

Penpushing further reports that, he, however, explained that basic health care services without exposure to financial hardships by the vulnerable in the society necessitated the informal sector health insurance scheme.

The Governor expressed hope that the scheme would serve as a cushion against any financial burden as occasioned by high out-of-pocket expenses on health care services, and equally appreciated the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes aimed at improving the wellbeing of the people.

Penpushing also reports that Abiodun noted that the launching of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the Informal Sector Health Insurance Scheme, would further deepen the positive impacts of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in Ogun state.

The Governor added that his administration would continue to collaborate with the federal government across all sectors, improve on the policy formulation and programme implementation to sustain the Public-Private Partnership strategy.

Penpushing reports that, Abiodun ,emphasised that  the relevant agencies in the health sector would continue to provide  necessary skills and equipment for more efficient and effective service delivery.

The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Olakunle Oluomo while appreciating the present administration for the initiative, said the House would pass a Bill to criminalise diversion of the scheme’s fund.

Penpushing further reports that, he advised the agencies of the scheme to allow their representatives to liaise with members of the public to sell the scheme, encouraging political office holders to embrace the scheme by paying for some of their constituents.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed that Ogun State Health Insurance Agency has accredited 236 primary health care facilities using the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) guidelines, while funds have been disbursed into the State Treasury Single Account (TSA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Penpushing also reports that Coker added that a total of number of 26,440 beneficiaries have also been enrolled onto the programme across the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ogun State

The Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Nasir Sambo, in his remarks disclosed that the federal government had disbursed over N28.7billion to states and the Federal Capital Territory to fulfill the requirements of accessing the funds.

Penpushing reports that, Sambo, while noting that the National Health Insurance Scheme provides support to state agencies in terms of technical and operational issues especially in the areas of training, technology and programme development to facilitate attainment of the universal coverage by the year 2030, said the federal government was also developing a contemporary and comprehensive information technology through the ongoing ENHIS project.

The Chairman, Ogun State Traditional Council of Obas and the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of traditional rulers expressed happiness with the new development in the health sector, calling on the people to embrace the scheme in order to access quality health care services.

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