Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has disclosed the laudable steps taken by his administration in order to attain the universal health coverage in the state.
Governor Yahaya stated this while delivering a lecture at the Royal Institute of International Affairs popurlarly known as Chatham House in London, United Kingdom.
The Governor, who was in London alongside two other Nigerian Governors; Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Abdullahi Sule ( Nasarawa), participated at a high level event tagged: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria on the invitation of Public Health Africa Policy Forum in collaboration with Centre for Universal Health, Chatham House.
The Director-General (Press Affairs) Gombe Government House, Ismaila Uba Misilli, also disclosed that Governor Yahaya was invited and offered the platform to showcase his administration’s achievements at the global stage in recognition of reforms taking place in Gombe under his leadership.
Governor Yahaya, who spoke on the topic ‘Political Leadership and The Universal Health Coverage Quest: The Impact on People’, noted that reforms in the health sector and beyond are critical political decisions that leaders must delibrately focus on and invest in, in order to strengthen the social contract between them and the people.
Sharing his perspectives on Gombe State’s journey towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, Governor Yahaya said that his administration has taken necessary measures to revamp the health system for better service delivery in the last three years.
This, according to him, includes the complete upgrade of the specialist hospital Gombe, revitalization of primarry health care centres (PHCC) across all the 114 wards of the state, the ongoing upgrade of general hospitals, as well as the establishment of Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth) to ensure financial risk protection for the people of the state.
The Gombe Governor had while campaigning, promised to among others proactively implement strategies to achieve Universal Health Coverage in the state using Primary Health Care as the corner stone to increase efficient, qualitative and affordable healthcare facilities and services as well as ensure availability of essential drugs, vaccines and immunisation across the 11 Local Government Areas of the state.
Upon assuming office, Governor Yahaya-led administration declared a state of emergency in the sector and set up a comprehensive agenda for the holistic overhaul of the system starting with the building of additional healthcare institutions, provision of medical facilities, equipment, training and retraining of healthcare personnel for better service delivery.
The Gombe Governor also established the Hospital Services Management Board to make necessary impact on the effective health delivery in the state.
Other speakers at the event include the Director General of National Health Insurance Authority, Prof Nasiru M Sambo who spoke about the recent signing of the National Health Insurance Authority Law which offers the potential for rapidly expanding health insurance coverage in the country.
Highlight of the event at Chatham House is the committment by the leaders to make a case for increasing public funding to the health system with a view to expanding coverage to the poor and vulnerable persons in the communities.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya was accompanied to the event by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru.
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