Date: 2017-02-19

AS the Kwara State House of Assembly works to ensure quick passage of 2017 budget, it says the N200m just released by Governor Abdul Fatah Ahmed as counterpart funding for Community Health Insurance Scheme will go a long way to make all categories of people of the state to have access to affordable quality health care delivery.

The Chairman House Committee on Health and Environment Hon Ahmed Ibn Mohammed made this observation during the ministerial budget defence of the state Ministry of Health.

Hon Mohammed, who said the scheme had earned the state international recognition, said that with the release of its counterpart funding for the scheme, all categories of people across the state would be able to access affordable health care delivery across the state.

The chairman of the House Committee on Health explained that though the scheme currently covered 11 Local Government Areas, a bill according to him that would make the entire people of the state enjoy the scheme had passed through second reading at the floor of the House.

He explained with delight that health sector had the lion share of the state budget this year, stressing that the legislature would ensure value for money through periodic oversight.

This stride by the Governor he noted was an indication that government gave priority to its social responsibility to the people of the state.

He blamed low patronage of government hospitals in most Local Government Areas of the state due to quackery of medical personnel and emphasised the need to provide the Ministry of Health with vehicles for monitoring to stem the tide of quackery in the state.

The legislature assured that logistics problem, which according to him hindered effective monitoring and supervision of all hospitals in the state, would be promptly addressed by government in this year's budget.