The Jigawa State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Forum (JiMAF) has commended Governor Malam Umar Namadi for assenting to the revised Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (JSPHCDA) and that of Jigawa State Contributory Health Management Agency (JICHMA) bill into Law.
The forum made the commendation at an interactive dinner meeting to celebrate the passage, sensitise the civil societies on the amendments and come up with strategies that will complement the implementation of the amended and additional provisions of the laws at Tahir Guest Palace, Dutse organized by JiMAF with support from PERL-ECP.
Speaking at the meeting the programme, manager commended the governor and the members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly for good and harmonious work which is speeding the progress of the social and economic development of the state.
The programme manager, who doubles as technical adviser to the governor, noted that the JiMAF is a conglomeration of different CSOs, media and government representatives working to facilitate the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality to the barest minimum.
“The Organization is using this medium to appreciate the State Government for the passage of the revised Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (JSPHCDA) and that of Jigawa State Contributory Health Management Agency (JICHMA) bill into Law. We believe this will strengthen the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) and promote equitable distribution of human resources for health, ensure health equity, access for poor and vulnerable, achieve Universal Health coverage and improve health outcomes.”
He noted that the JiMAF with support from PERL-ECP is associated with the good working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in Jigawa state.
The Technical Adviser expressed appreciation for the good synergy between the state government and development partners working in the state. “This made us celebrate the passage of the law, as well as sensitize the civil societies on the amendments and come up with strategies that will complement the implementation of the amended and additional provisions of the laws”.
In his address, the commissioner of health, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa, expressed appreciation to JiMAF, PERL-ECP and other organizations for recognizing and supporting the state government’s efforts in the healthcare delivery system.
Kainuwa explained that an effective healthcare delivery system for all at all levels is one of the Malam Umar Namadi 12-point agenda and the government would do everything within its power to achieve the objective goals.
According to the commissioner, “to that regard, the state government has employed about 1200 medical personnel including over 100 doctors. And presently governor Malam Umar Namadi gave another approval for recruiting another 1,500 J-health workers all in an effort to provide adequate and qualified medical personnel at all the health facilities across the state”.
He emphasised that “the government also embarked on the wall fencing, renovations and upgrading some medical facilities across the state to conveniently accommodate the state’s social insurance cover project which under it would provides free healthcare services to over 140,000 vulnerable across the 287 political wards in the state”.
Kainuwa added that “so far government completed the work in seven hospitals, 30 are ongoing and the work in 30 hospitals is about to be awarded.
“I’m happy to inform you that the state government has set aside the sum of N2 billion for social insurance cover equality funds. One billion Nakira for formal and one billion for informal senators”.
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