By Asma’u Ahmad
The Kaduna State House Assembly on Tuesday passed into law the Contributory Health Management Authority Bill, meant to enhance access to affordable health services in the state.
The passage of the bill followed the presentation of report by the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Dr Isaac Zainkhai at plenary. He explained that the bill would ensure that residents have access to effective quality and affordable healthcare services.
“It will also protect them from the financial hardship of huge medical bills; limit inflationary effects of the rise in cost of healthcare services and ensure the availability of alternative sources of funding to health sector for improved services.”
Similarly, the assembly also passed into law, the Kaduna State AIDS Control Agency (KADSACA) Bill enacted to upscale coordination of multi-sectored response to HIV/AIDS in the state.
Media men report that the House also amended the Kaduna State College of Midwifery Establishment Bill, which would now be known as College of Nursing and Midwifery.
The sitting was presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Shagali. Speaking with journalists after the sitting, the Chairman House Committee on Information, Mr Nuhu Shadalafiya said a total of eight bills were passed during the sitting.
Shadalafi said, “People think that we have been resting and doing nothing. This shows that we were not just on recess as people may think but working for the good of the state, and these are the bye-products of that work.
“It is unprecedented to have eight reports presented in a day and passed into law, it means that we are discharging our mandate.”
He explained that before now, the assembly had passed 47 bills, “so we are now talking of about fifty five bills that have already been passed into law.”
The chairman advised the people to take advantage of the contributory health law to register for the scheme so as to benefit from health insurance.
