Gov Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has inaugurated a free basic healthcare initiative, J-Basic Healthcare Services, for vulnerable citizens of the state.
Inaugurating the programme, on Wednesday in Dutse, Namadi said that the initiave aims at providing universal healthcare for the vulnerable population of the state.
He said that the transformative initiative would provide free and accessible health services to the poorest citizens of the state.
“This presents our commitment to healthcare equity in the state and will provide a safety net to about 143,500 carefully selected beneficiaries from all 287 political wards across the state,” Namadi said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensure that no citizen was left without access to quality healthcare.
“Our goal is to ensure that every Jigawa resident can receive the care they need, without facing financial hardship.
“This programme is a critical step towards that vision,” he said.
The governor also recognised the intervention and contributions of development partners, including the FCDO, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) to providing quality healthcare service in the state.
Namadi said that the partners had provided technical support in expanding health related programmes to six local government areas of the state.
Also speaking at the event, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa, explained that the initiative was a key step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Jigawa State.
“The J-Basic Healthcare is built upon the foundation of the State Health Equity Programme, which is designed to deliver free and high-quality healthcare services to the vulnerable populations in Jigawa State.
“With an investment of N1.5 billion, the programme will deliver comprehensive healthcare services through primary and secondary health facilities, easing the financial burden of healthcare,” Kainuwa said.
The commissooner said that the programme was not just about saving lives, but also about empowering individuals and communities, with the hope of reducing the number of people who fall into poverty due to health-related expenses.
Dr Kainuwa said that beneficiaries of the programme were selected through a transparent and inclusive process, thus involving key stakeholders.
“Each political ward will have 500 individuals enrolled in the programme, receiving both treatment and preventive services aimed at improving overall health outcomes,” he said.
Some of the beficiaries, who spoke with our correspondent, expressed delight for being selected.
One of them, Mr Abdulkarim Usmanu from Buji local government area, prayed for God’s guidance for the administration to continue serving the masses.
A female beneficiary, Mrs Uwani Kalla, also narrated how she suffered several years of stroke and was managed by her two sons.
She commended the state governor for the initiative, saying that it will ease a lot of financial burden placed on her two sons that managed her situation for years.(NAN)
