President Muhammadu Buhari will in the next few weeks inaugurate the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Scheme to enable women and children access affordable medical care.
The Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaibu, who gave the hint in Kaduna on Tuesday, also said the scheme would give women and children free access to medical facilities in hospitals across the country.
Shuaibu stated this in an interview on the sidelines of an engagement workshop on how to improve routine immunisation organised by the agency.
He noted that the initiative, when inaugurated by the President, would check the death rate among women and children from preventable diseases.
The NHCDA boss added that the scheme would also provide insurance and primary health care interventions for women and children in a way that “they would not have to suffer as a result of their illnesses.”
He said, “In the next few weeks, President Buhari will be inaugurating the basic healthcare provision fund, which is a giant leap towards universal health coverage for Nigerians.
“Imagine a situation whereby mothers and young children will go to health facilities and the biggest challenge will not be finance. This basic health care service will be available at no cost.”
He added that most of the deaths recorded among women, especially during pregnancy and children were as result of lack of equipment, drugs and finances in the health facilities.
Shuaibu also said that the scheme would help many states and local government councils to provide basic health care needs for their people.
He said, “This is why we setup the National Routine Immunisation Provision Centres to help coordinate all routine immunisation activities as an entry point to strengthen primary health care that is accessible and available for every individual, no matter where they reside.
“It is this same spirit that has driven polio to mere eradication in Nigeria. We will live to the point when none of our children will be threatened with paralysis from poliomelytis any longer. But beyond eradicating such diseases, we are saying that no child should come down with any preventable disease.”
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