By Asmau Ahmad
Executive Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has signed the State Health Insurance Agency Bill into law with a promise to support it with an initial N200 million. Speaking during the signing ceremony at Government House, Ilorin, on Tuesday, Ahmed said the agency will operate with contributions from other sectors like the consolidated funds, grants from donors and other agencies.
The governor said the State Health Insurance Agency is part of the government’s commitment to Human Capital Development, adding that it has quality healthcare service and functional education as its main components.
“The Agency is saddled with provision of qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare delivery for all the people of the state…..apart from the N200 million grant from the State Government, the scheme will be funded with one per cent state consolidated fund, grants from donor agencies like World Bank and Pharm-Access.’’
He said that premium was to be paid by beneficiaries and other funds that may accrue to the agency from time to time, saying that insurance bill would be built on the existing community. Ahmed said the Health Insurance Scheme would cover ten Local Government Areas of the state for provision of health care service to care for separate categories of Kwarans and residents.
The governor said the agency would be sustainably used to develop healthcare service in the state beyond the existing levels with the hope to outlive the present administration. In a post-event interview, a member of the implementation committee, who happens to be the Director-General of the State Hospital Management Board, Dr Bunmi Winters told newsmen that the World Bank and PharmAccess Foundation are assisting with technical advice.
Winters said the committee would stage an advocacy week before the scheme takes off where they would sensitise members of the public about the operations.
