Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has launched a mobile application technology for Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, GoHealth, in his determination to revolutionize the health services in the state.
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The launch of the GoHealth Mobile App is in collaboration with the German International Corporation GIZ, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development and Saif Advocacy Foundation.
Launching the mobile app during a stakeholders engagement meeting on Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, organised by GoHealth in Gombe.
Governor Yahaya said the launch of the mobile application was in line with his administration’s aspiration in providing quality and affordable healthcare services for the people.
He observed that with the demonstration of the GoHealth mobile App, it was clear that the App was user-friendly, safe and secure, to enable individuals and groups to enrol on the scheme, book appointments with their care providers, make enquiries as well as provide feedback to enable the government take necessary measures to improve the quality of service.
Governor Yahaya said that in order to accelerate the drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage in the state, his administration had adopted the innovative use of ICT for health, in order to improve service delivery, ensure responsiveness, increase access, expand coverage and offer financial risk protection to the people.
“It is in this regard that we developed a robust and functional ICT ecosystem for GoHealth. GoHealth ICT Framework and Blueprint will enable Gombe State to leverage current and future ICT investments to build an integrated health information infrastructure and greatly contribute to Universal Healthcare Coverage,” said Governor Yahaya.
He described the occasion as special, because it was a combination of both stakeholder engagement and the launching of the GoHealth Mobile App, a policy of embracing innovative and technology-driven solutions to ensure effective and efficient healthcare service delivery to the people.
The Governor explained that the engagement was aimed at sensitizing all relevant stakeholders and the general public on the recently introduced contributory health care scheme and its various programmes targeting all categories of residents in the state.
“You will recall that on the 18th of March, 2021, I officially flagged off enrolment into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) at Daban Fulani in Kwami Local Government Area. It is gladdening to see that the agency thereafter successfully enrolled over 25,000 poor and vulnerable across all the 114 wards of the state who have been accessing the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services at our revitalized primary healthcare centres since the 1st day of July, 2021,” said Governor Yahaya.
He said the GoHealth beneficiaries enjoy effective medical consultations, admissions, provision of regular medications and surgical operations all at no cost to them, while the healthcare providers also receive regular funding to enable them maintain their facilities, ensure the availability of drugs and other medical consumables and improve human resource capacity.
The Gombe State Governor urged all stakeholders to mobilize the poor and vulnerable in the various communities to enrol in GoHealth insurance, so that they would meet their healthcare needs. He said the target of his administration was to enrol a minimum of 40,000 poor and vulnerable people into the programme, which had so far enrolled about 60 thousand civil servants and their dependants, who have started accessing care on 1st October, 2021.
The GoHealth health insurance programme is providing Gombe State civil servants with subsidized healthcare services, which subsequently enhances workers’ welfare and improves their productivity.
Governor Yahaya said the Informal sector programme had also commenced, thereby urging all residents to take advantage of the programme to register themselves and their loved ones, so as to prevent rising healthcare costs and its devastating social and economic consequences.
“Through this model, they can sponsor and enrol family members, friends, neighbours and dependents into the program by paying an agreed premium fee to enable them enjoy access to quality and affordable healthcare services,” said Governor Yahaya.
Speaking on the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Insurance Scheme, Professor Mohammed Nasiru Sambo, said the Federal Government deemed it necessary to establish the fund, so as to create an avenue where Nigeria could successfully attain Universal health coverage.
He said when Healthcare services were enhanced in the country, the life expectancy of its citizens would surge, thereby eliminating avoidable health complications that lead to untimely deaths.
The Professor commended the Gombe State Government for launching the mobile app to enhance the services of GoHealth, saying it is unthinkable to operate a functional healthcare system without the introduction of Information Communication.
The Country Lead of the German International Corporation, GIZ Fatima Zannah, said Gombe State had been a pacesetter in the provision of quality healthcare services across the State, saying the launch of the GoHealth App in Gombe State is a quantum leap in the delivery of real-time health services.
She gave the Government and people of the State the assurance that GIZ would continue to support the efforts of the Gombe State government towards revitalizing the health sector.
The chairman governing board of the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency GoHealth Dr. Mohammed Isa Umar said the GoHealth mobile app was a technological innovation aimed at registering beneficiaries from the comfort of their homes to begin enjoying seamless health care services.
