The Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency has enrolled 1,000 non formal school children into the scheme.

The children otherwise called “Almajiri” in the northern part of Nigeria, are pupils of non-formal Qur’anic schools.

The state deputy governor, Mr Manassah Jatau said this during the inauguration of the enrolment and GoHealth Identity Card distribution exercise, on Wednesday in Gombe.

He said the enrolment of the children into the scheme would fast track residents’ inclusion in quality healthcare delivery.

According to Jatau, providing healthcare to everybody in society is the only way to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

“Our gathering marks another significant milestone in our administration’s efforts towards healthcare provision. Today, we are witnessing the enrolling and registration of 1,000 Almajiri students into GoHealth. This is a very laudable idea. The Almajiri, being a vulnerable group live a life style that makes them liable to be infected with communicable diseases, based on their exposure to the harsh environment,” he said.

Mr Jatau said the initiative would mitigate illness and epidemics among the children and in society, adding that, “if we are well and they are not, then all of us are in danger of contracting diseases.”

The deputy governor said the introduction of the scheme was a demonstration of the Inuwa Yahaya administration’s unwavering commitment to meet the health needs of the people.

He said the scheme would enhance access to quality healthcare services to the vulnerable and the less privileged who could not afford it.

Reiterating government’s commitment to improved investment in the health sector, Mr Jatau urged philanthropists to contribute to the scheme to enable it to meet the health needs of the people.

(NAN)