Group Commends Jigawa over assent to JSPHCDA, JICHMA Laws

***Says the laws will curb Maternal, Child Morbidity, Mortality.

By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

The Jigawa State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Forum (JiMAF), has commended governor Malam Umar Namadi over his assent to the revised Jigawa State Primary Health care development Agency (JSPHCDA) and that of Jigawa State Contributory Health Management Agency (JICHMA) bill into Law.

The forum made the commendation during an interactive dinner meeting, at Tahir Guest Palace, Dutse organized by JiMAF with support from PERL-ECP.

The interactive dinner was
to celebrate the passage, sensitize the civil societies on the amendments and to come up with strategies that will complement the implementation of the amendment and additional provisions of the laws

Speaking at the meeting the programme, manager commended Governor Malam Umar Namadi and members of the Jigawa state Assembly for good and harmonial working relationship which is accelerating the progress of the social and economic development of the state.

The programme manager who is also the technical adviser to the governor noted that Jigawa State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Forum (JiMAF) is a conglomeration of different Civil Society Organizations, Media and Government representatives working to facilitate the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality to the barest minimum.

“The Organizations is using this medium to appreciate the State Government for the passage of the revised Jigawa State Primary Health care development Agency (JSPHCDA) and that of Jigawa State Contributory Health Management Agency (JICHMA) bill into Law.
“We believe this will strengthen the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) and promote equitable distribution of human resource for health, ensure health equity, access for poor and vulnerable, achieving Universal Health coverage and improved health outcomes”.

He noted that the JiMAF with support from PERL-ECP is an association that promotes good working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in Jigawa state.

The Technical Adviser expressed appreciation over the good synergy between the state government and development partners working in the state. “This prompted us celebrate the passage the law, as well as sensitize the civil societies on the amendments to come up with strategies that will complement the implementation of the amended laws and additional provisions of the laws”.

In his address the commissioner of health, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa expressed appreciation to JiMAF, PERL-ECP and other organizations for recognizing and supporting the state government effort on healthcare delivery system.

Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa explained that an effective healthcare delivery system for all at all levels is one of the Malam Umar Namadi 12 point agenda and government would do everything within it’s power to achieves the objective goals.

According to the commissioner “to that regard the state government has employed about 1200 medical personnel including over 100 doctors. And presently governor Malam Umar Namadi gave another approval for recruiting another 1,500 J-health workers all in efforts to provide adequate and qualified medical personnel at all the health facilities across the state”.

He emphasis that “the government also embarked on the wall fencing, renovations and upgrading some medical facilities across the state to conveniently accommodated the the state’s social insurance cover project which under it would provides free healthcare services to over 140,000 vulnerable across the 287 political wards in the state”.

Dr Kainuwa added that “so far government completed the work in seven hospitals, 30 is ongoing and the work in 30 hospitals is about be awarded”.

“I’m happy to inform you that the state government has set aside the sum of N2 billion for social insurance cover equality funds. One billion Nakira for formal and one billion for informal senators”.