Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has inaugurated a Steering Committee on National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, to enable the state benefit from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund established by the Federal Government.
The committee members include the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Sunday Elaigu, Mr. Agwaza Iorkpiligh, Apirtyu Ayaka, Moses Leva, Mr. Matthew Uyina, Bem Ageda, Anthony Egwu, Joshua Otulu, Mohammed Laja, Grace Ngaji and Philip Eche.
Speaking during their inauguration at Government House, Makurdi, on Thursday, Gov. Ortom urged members of the committee to study the operational guidelines of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in order to make Benue people have access to healthcare services.
He explaind that the state has fully embraced the Basic Healthcare Provision scheme to support the effective delivery of Primary Healthcare Services and provision of Basic Minimum Package of health services as well as Emergency Medical Treatment for all Nigerians.
The Governor noted that the state had committed the sum of N100 Million as her counterpart fund as requirement to access N1.7 billion which would be disbursed to the Benue State Health Insurance Agency and the state Primary Health Care Board.
He described members of the committee as pacesetters who would build the foundation for the success of primary health and other associated social services in the state.
The Governor cautioned the committee members and other government officials against pilfering public resources under whatever guise, saying he was happy that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, now has an office in the state saying he would not hesitate to handover anyone culprit to the anti-graft agency.
He lauded the Federal Government for closing the country’s borders against importation of food items, saying it had already started impacting positively on farm produce, adding however, that the government should move a step further by closing the borders against foreign herdsmen in order to reduce the level of insecurity in the country.
Chairman of the steering committee and Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Sunday Elaigu, thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve in the committee and pledged that they will do their best to justify the confidence reposed in them.
