By Haruna Gimba
The Nigeria’s Federal Government said it will reposition the country’s health sector by developing the National Health Policy 2060 to expand healthcare delivery in the country.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewale, made this known on Thursday in Kaduna at the inauguration of the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority.
He said the federal government is also working with states and development partners to revitalise 10,000 healthcare centres across the country by 2020.
“So far, we have counted 4,000 PHCs that have been revitalised in partnership with state governments and development partners. We are
implementing the ‘Save One Million Lives Initiative’ to facilitate rapid developmentof PHCs across the Country,” he added.
On the contributory health insurance scheme, the minister said it was founded on the principle of solidarity and pooling resources from all to cater for all.
“The benefit package costs less than N700 per month, at N8,000 yearly for individuals and N36,000 for a family not exceeding six persons.”
He therefore, urged the people of Kaduna state to enrol into the scheme for it’s various benefits.
Governor Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufai explained that it was a social protection scheme aimed at improving health outcomes, reducing household poverty as well as insulating the poor and vulnerable from catastrophic healthcare costs.
He said the state government has conceived the scheme to provide financial risk protection and also improve access to quality healthcare for all residents.
El-Rufai pleaded with the people to own the scheme by enrolling in it to access out of pocket healthcare services.
