The Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, GoHealth, has begun the enrolment of over 40 thousand poor and vulnerable people in the state.
GoHealth says the programme is being implemented under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund with the aim of attaining the Universal Health Coverage.
It says part of the criteria for the enrolment is Provision of the National Identity Number so as to track subscribers who would be enrolled within the 10 day period allotted for the enrolment.
GoHealth said the second phase would enrol additional 15 thousand beneficiaries and the revalidation of the existing 25 thousand poor and vulnerable.
The Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Tanimu Umar said, “The process will cover the entire 114 wards of 11 LGAs in the state where the poorest of the poor and vulnerable will be enrolled. The categories include, children under five, widows, pregnant women, aged 65 years and above, IDPs and people with special needs.
“Our enrolment officers were well trained and mobilised to handle the 10-day process, they will be closely supervised by GoHealth staff supported by Ward Development Committees and GoHealth Desk Officers.”
After the inspection of the ongoing enrolment, one at the Pantami, Gida Magani Primary Health Care Centres, two of the officials, Ahmed Bello and Hauwa Danjuma, both said the process had been smooth. They said aside from the failure of some of the beneficiaries who did not have National Identification Number, some were not qualified based on the specified guidelines.
According to Bello, “We are enrolling beneficiaries for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. We are five in number enrolling beneficiaries here in Pantami PHC. Some of the clients came without the NIN, and some others were not eligible. It took some minutes to explain to them. We intend to enrol beneficiaries within this area through the sensitisation of traditional and religious leaders.”