Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has sponsored the enrollment of 100 poor and vulnerable people under the ‘Expanded Healthcare Services Scheme’ in the state.
Dr Lawan Gana, the Commissioner of Health disclosed this at the inauguration of the exercise on Monday in Damaturu.
“Some two weeks back, Buni launched the Yobe State Expanded Healthcare Services Scheme
”Then, he made a commitment to personally support the enrollment of 100 poor and vulnerable populations.
“Today, in fulfillment of that pledge, we are kick-starting Buni’s personal sponsorship,”, Mr Gana said.
He explained that the scheme targeted all vulnerabilities such as disability, poverty, pregnant women, children older than five and sickle cell disease patients, among others.
The commissioner said, ”in order to achieve universal health coverage, the government could not do that alone.
“There is a need for the affluent, philanthropists and organisations to support the government by emulating Buni’s gesture,” he said.
Mr Gana said the government was targeting 80 per cent of the population to be covered under the scheme.
Also speaking, Dr Babagana Tijjani, the Executive Secretary, Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, YOCHMA, said the agency was determined to ensure that all the programmes under the agency commence soon.
“We have the formal sector programme, which civil servants of state and local government are currently benefiting from.
“While other parts of the population benefit from the informal part of the programme,” he said.
Mr Tijjani added that the ‘Equity and Basic Healthcare Programmes’ were meant for the vulnerable members of the society.
He enjoined all Yobe indigenes to join the programme in order to achieve universal healthcare coverage.
A visually impaired beneficiary, Ali Bukar, lauded Mr Buni and YOCHMA for their kind gesture especially to the vulnerable population of the state.
NAN
