Kwara State is the only state that has a community health insurance system in the whole of Nigeria, according to the state Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Sulyman Atolagbe Alege. In this interview with FRANKA OSAKWE. Alege who speaks on the state’s success in the just-concluded vaccination against measles in northern part of the country says Kwara state stands out in health care delivery in the North-Central zone. Excerpts.

How would you appraise the just concluded vaccination against measles in Kwara State?

In Kwara, you can see what we have put in place in every local government as regards the issue of the measles programme; that is vaccination of our children from five months to the age of five. This is a period when we want to immunize all our children against measles. Thank God, we have our health personnel on ground that are doing a very good job in our health facilities. This is a facility programme, it is not a programme like the other general immunization whereby you take it to the homes of everybody. But, the Kwara state government has done a very good campaign. We went to radio and television stations, we made use of people in the village, telling them to bring out their children for immunization against measles in our health facilities within the state. Every local government in Kwara state is participating. If you look at it, the Ministry of Health is also doing its own monitoring and evaluation of the programme. We have our teams on ground. Other management teams are also moving about. The Permanent Secretary and myself, including some of our Directors moved round, look at how the programme is going, and how the programme is moving. Thank God, people are coming out. Our mothers are bringing out their children for immunization; and we are happy with what we see.

We have a target of 75,000 to 90,000 children within the system that will be immunized. Thank God, if you look at it now, we are about reaching that stage, and meeting that target. So, once the target is met, we will be happy that we have done a very good job.

To what extent will you say fuel scarcity has negatively impacted the exercise, considering that fuel scarcity has recently adversely impacted the socio-economic activities in the state.

I can only say that it affected our staff a little, not the children that were brought in for vaccination. Most of our health facilities are close to where our people reside. The problem is just that of our staff and the state government has made arrangement that each local government will have hired vehicles for the programme. The driver of the vehicle and the team would make sure the fuel is already on ground for them to move. So, mostly, so far so good, it has not been affecting the programme because the health facilities are close to our people. It is just for the mothers to bring out their children to the facilities and meet our health officers on ground.

What is the extent of measles prevalence in this state?

Measles is not a source of worry because Kwara state is one of the states on good pedestrians as regards the issue of measles; if you look at our work plan and other diseases. This programme has always been on ground. We have our public health unit; we have our primary health care unit. We have other units that participate continuously in measles programme and immunization. This is just a special programme. We have been handling all these cases through our primary health care, in which our donor agencies have been supporting us.

How affordable and accessible are public health facilities to the people in Kwara state?

His Excellency, the Governor of the state has an agenda of shared prosperity. Part of the agenda of shared prosperity in the state is that for every 500 metres, you must have a health facility, at least a primary health facility in the state. This is what has been happening, for every ward in Kwara state, we have health facility, basic health care centre in every area that we tag as a comprehensive area. We have comprehensive facility, cottage hospitals in the state, and we have General Hospitals. Last year, we were able to rehabilitate and give out a functioning General Hospital in five local government areas in Kwara state. And, if you get to those hospitals today, they are among the finest hospitals you can get in North-Central zone and even in some other parts of Nigeria. So, if you go to our General Hospitals in Ilorin, Saare, Omu- Aran, these are the hospitals that we have renovated, and renovated to the highest taste of a very good hospital in the country.

What is Kwara state doing in making health insurance available as canvassed by the Federal Government?

Look at the history of all the states in the federation. Kwara state is the only state that has a community health insurance system in the whole of Nigeria. We have been having this since 2007. We have a community-based health insurance. We have partners that work with us in this area. People have been having it so good in our villages. We started with only one local government. Now, we have 11 local governments that are participating in our community health insurance scheme in Kwara state. We have 16 local governments, and we have 11 local governments that are participating, remaining just five. Last Monday, we signed a memorandum of understanding with our partners from Amsterdam. They were in the state to sign agreement because we want to have Kwara State Health Insurance Fund. The Amsterdam group will put in their own support and the government of the state will put in its own support in percentage. Also, the National Health Insurance Scheme will put in its own support. Our Bill is going to the Kwara State House of Assembly, which we know will be given accelerated hearing for Kwara to have it as an agency. That is, having Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme as an agency. We have Community Health Insurance that its bill is already on ground. That is what we are operating on. We want to move it to an agency so that everybody will participate. This is because health insurance, throughout all developed nations, is what the people use. They don’t need to bother their pockets before going for quality health services. Since they don’t need to put hands in their pockets, they have it on insurance basis; that will be good for the people of Kwara, and the people of Nigeria. That is why we want everybody in Kwara state to participate after the bill has been passed. By the grace of God, we will start the programme by January. We want everybody to participate.

It has been argued that people in the country have more confidence in private health facilities. Would you say Kwarans patronize private hospitals more than those owned by the government?

In Kwara, that is not possible. If you go to our General Hospital, Ilorin and others in the state, you see how people are going into the hospital. If you look at the facilities there, you see that people are coming into our health facilities. Health facilities in Kwara state are good. We have good staff, we have good specialists; we have people that can do so many good things for our people. When you are going to any health facility in Kwara state, you are sure of meeting quality staff on ground. So, why will you be worried? That is why most of our people attend comprehensive health centres, our cottage hospitals, our General Hospitals…We have the best Diagnostic Centre in North- Central. We have referrals that are coming there from other states for diagnostic services.

Which are the prevalent diseases in Kwara which your government intends to give priority?

Health challenges are continuous issues, either you like it or not in health system. In Kwara state, the area you can look into, maybe malaria. It is a general case everywhere, and we are handling it… There are so many other areas because health is a challenge itself. Either you like it or not, you will still continue to record one way or the other. But, thank God, in Kwara state, we have everything at the lowest level. The last time we recorded cholera in Kwara state will be around the ’80. This is because we have very good water system in the state. Government that is having a shared prosperity agenda is digging boreholes in almost every village in the state. Once you have a good water and sanitation system, the problem of cholera, and such diseases will not occur. That is why we have been having it so good in Kwara state. Everything in Kwara state regarding the issue of health challenges is at the lowest level. And, at that lowest level, we are not closing our eyes. The government is still participating in all national health programmes. And, it is still working to manage every issue of health in the state.