The Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has inaugurated a free basic healthcare initiative, J-Basic Healthcare Services, for vulnerable citizens in the state.

Inaugurating the programme, on Wednesday in Dutse, Mr Namadi said that the initiative was to provide universal healthcare to the state’s vulnerable population.

He said that the transformative initiative would provide free and accessible health services to the poorest citizens of the state.

Mr Namadi said, “This presents our commitment to healthcare equity in the state and will provide a safety net to about 143,500 carefully selected beneficiaries from the 287 political wards across the state.”

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that no citizen was left without access to quality healthcare.

“Our goal is to ensure that every Jigawa resident can receive the care they need, without facing financial hardship. This programme is a critical step towards that vision,” he said.

The governor also recognised the intervention and contributions of development partners, including the FCDO, United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation to providing quality healthcare service in the state.

Mr Namadi said that the partners had provided technical support in expanding health-related programmes to six local government areas in the state.

Also speaking at the event, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa, explained that the initiative was a key step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage in Jigawa State.

“The J-Basic Healthcare is built upon the foundation of the State Health Equity Programme, which is designed to deliver free and high-quality healthcare services to the vulnerable populations in Jigawa State. With an investment of N1.5 billion, the programme will deliver comprehensive healthcare services through primary and secondary health facilities, easing the financial burden of healthcare,” Mr Kainuwa said.

The commissioner said that the programme was not just about saving lives, but also about empowering individuals and communities, with the hope of reducing the number of people who fall into poverty due to health-related expenses.

Dr Kainuwa said that beneficiaries of the programme were selected through a transparent and inclusive process, thus involving key stakeholders.

“Each political ward will have 500 individuals enrolled in the programme, receiving both for treatment and preventive services aimed at improving overall health outcomes,” he said.

Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke about the programme, expressed delight for their selection.

One of them, Abdulkarim Usmanu from Buji local government area, prayed for God’s guidance for the administration to continue serving the masses.

A female beneficiary, Uwani Kalla, also narrated how she suffered several years of stroke and was managed by her two sons.

She commended the state governor for the initiative, saying that it would ease a lot of financial burden on her two sons who had been managing her situation.

(NAN)