Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has flagged off access to free healthcare services for the people of the state with 15,000 instant beneficiaries.
Under the initiative known as Bello Cares programme which was unveiled yesterday in Lokoja, the state capital, pregnant women, children under the age of 5, people with disabilities and persons above the age of 65 will enjoy free healthcare services.
The programme also covers education and security.
It will be operated under the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency to deliver quality healthcare services to the targeted beneficiaries.
In his address at the event, the executive secretary of Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Kunle Aledare thanked the governor for making Healthcare a core thematic area of the New Direction Government.
Aledare described the Bello Care Programme as one that complements the federal government health Initiative. He added that 38,000 people have been enrolled across the 21LGAs in the state.
The executive secretary thanked the governor for releasing funds to the tune of N108 million for the take-off of the Health Insurance Programme as well as approving two Toyota Hilux operational vehicles to monitor the Bello Cares programme.
In his speech, the commissioner for health, Dr. Usman Zekeri said that the most vulnerable group does not have access to quality Healthcare due to ignorance and poverty.
The commissioner said that in partnership with the Federal Government, over N70 million counterpart fund has also been paid to access the Federal Government’s Health Initiative.
Dr. Zekeri added that the giant strides of Gov. Bello in the Health sector made it possible to implement the Bello Cares programme. He sighted the building of modern hospitals in various parts of the state including the Central Hospital, Okene as a way of turning Kogi State to a Medico Tourism Centre.
He added that plans are underway to capture State Civil Servants and students of Tertiary institutions in the health insurance programme.
While speaking at the event, Gov. Bello disclosed that a sum of N108 million has already been released as a take-off fund for the programme as well as N70 million counterpart fund paid to the Federal Government.
Bello said “in Kogi, health is second in our Thematic area. Without Heath, there can be no wealth. The initiative underlines the importance we place on Health and we are not stopping at Health alone.
Bello Care is not limited to health alone, it spreads to education and security”.
The Governor gave the assurance that the Bello Cares programme will not die after his administration and He will make sure that whoever takes over from Him will continue from wherever He stops.
He added that “We have paid 100 percent for this programme and we will not smile at anyone that tries to make profit from the program because it belongs to the vulnerable.
Among others, the Bello Cares scheme is expected to cover; general consultations (treatment of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever), antenatal care, deliveries, post-natal care, paedriatrics and surgeries.
