Borno govt. enrolls 63,000 vulnerable persons for free healthcare

By Yakubu Uba

Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has so far registered 63,000 vulnerable persons for free healthcare, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Executive Secretary of the agency, Saleh Abba-Kaza, made this known while briefing newsmen on Monday in Maiduguri.

Abba-Kaza said that the vulnerable, comprising pregnant women, children under five, people living with disabilities, the elderly and the poorest in the society, were registered in 25 local government areas.

He said that the agency, established by the Gov. Babagana Zulum-led administration in 2019, also accredited 183 primary healthcare facilities across the state to render services.

Abba-Kaza said that the secondary facilities also accredited to serve as referral centres for primary healthcare facilities included: the State Specialist Hospital, Eye Hospital, Dental Hospital, State Psychiatric Hospital, Skin and Leprosy Hospital and General Hospital in all LGAs.

“It is worthy to note that Gov. Babagana Zulum had recently pledged to disburse over N200 million as counterpart fund to the agency so that more poor and vulnerable people will be covered by free healthcare.

“Under the formal sector scheme of the agency, no fewer than 100,000 civil servants and their dependants from the state and local governments will benefit from the affordable and qualitative healthcare,” he said.

While noting that the programme had yet to commence for civil servants, the executive secretary urged the organised labour in the state to buy into the scheme to enable workers benefit.

“The agency, under the informal sector, was able to enroll about 1,000 people.

“Meanwhile, preparation is in top gear to commence the tertiary institution contributory health programme, known as TISHIP,” Abba-Kaza said.

(NAN)