Tribune Online
Functional healthcare will curb health tourism —Okowa
DELTA State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has said movement of Nigerians to other countries will be reduced with functional and effective health care facilities in the country.
The governor made the observation when the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Abdulkaziz Mashi Abdulahi, paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba.
According to the governor, “when you are able to take care of the health needs of our people, fewer Nigerians will travel overseas.”
Governor Okowa, who commended the Federal Government for releasing counterpart fund for the basic healthcare fund, urged other state governors to make available the counterpart funding of their states to fast-track the development of the health sector.
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He disclosed that the National Health Act was well structured to take care of the health needs of Nigerians, disclosing that the inclusion of a minimum of one per cent of the national budget for the Basic Healthcare Fund and its subsequent implementation by the Federal Government will greatly improve facilities and services in the health institutions of the country.
He said: “The health of our people is very important, and I believe that this fund, even when it is not adequate, will help provide basic care for all Nigerians, especially the vulnerable and the poor through proper disbursement.
“The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has a lot of work to do to ensure that funds are appropriately channeled,” he stated.
“As a state government, we are already funding the compulsory health insurance scheme of people who are in the vulnerable group. We have received over 500, 000 enrollees from the formal and non-formal sector and with the release of the Basic Healthcare Fund to the states, we hope to surpass our target of one million enrollees by 2023.”
Abdullahi had in his speech said they were in the state for the flag-off of the basic healthcare fund and commended Governor Okowa’s administration for recording giant strides in the health sector.
Functional healthcare will curb health tourism —Okowa
Tribune Online
Source: Tribune
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