Kogi State Health Insurance Agency has commenced the distribution of identity cards to beneficiaries of the basic health care provision fund (BHCPF) in the twenty one Local Government Areas of Kogi State.
A Press Statement by the Executive Secretary of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Adekunle Aledare made available to newsmen in Lokoja indicates that the distribution of the Identity Cards marks the beginning of free access to health care for the vulnerable persons across the two hundred and thirty nine wards in Kogi State.
Dr Aledare noted that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is a grant to States from Federal Government for the Provision of Basic Minimum Package of Health Care Services to Vulnerable Persons in the State which is targeted at Pregnant women, Children under five years of age, People with disability, the aged and the poorest of the poor.
The Executive Secretary applauded Governor Yahaya Bello for Providing the Counter part fund, take off grant and Equity fund which has provided the impetus for the Agency to deliver her mandate of providing Guaranteed access to quality and affordable health care services to the good people of Kogi State. He maintained that the Agency has commenced the distribution of 30, 288 ID cards to the beneficiaries across the 21 LGAs with 131 persons per ward in all the accredited primary health care centers per ward.
Dr. Aledare called on the enrollees to come out enmass to collect their ID cards to access free primary and secondary health care services and even in cases of referral to a higher health Care centre.
The Executive Secretary thanked governor Yahaya Bello for the bold and decisive step to establish the Agency which will help the State to achieve the Universal Health Coverage by year 2030. He further Stated that the State Government recently provided funds to enrol another 15,000 Vulnerable Persons across the 21 LGAs through the Bello Care Program which will be flagged off in few weeks to expand the coverage of the Vulnerable persons in the State . Dr. Aledare noted that Kogi State remains one of the few States that has provided Equity fund to enrol more vulnerable Persons in Nigeria .
The Executive Secretary declared that “this unhindered access to health care services will culminate in reduced Maternal and under five mortalities in the State.”
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