Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed on Monday inaugurated the Implementation Committee for the State’s Health Insurance Law, with a charge on the committee to identify sustainable means of improving the scheme.
The inauguration of the Committee follows the signing into law of the Kwara State Health Insurance Bill as recently passed by the State House of Assembly.
The new law has repealed the State’s Community Health Insurance Law and will create a new Kwara State Health Insurance Agency that will be saddled with the provision of qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare delivery for all categories of people in the State.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Implementation Committee at the Government House, Ilorin, Governor Ahmed enjoined the Committee to identify a sustainable funding window for the scheme and ensure it is extended to all the local government areas of the State so that more residents can benefit.
According to him, the new scheme will be financed by an initial take-off grant by the State government, one percent of the State’s consolidated revenue, grants from donor agencies, donations from public and private agencies, premium to be paid by beneficiaries of the scheme and all other funds that may accrue to the Agency from time to time.
The governor highlighted the terms of reference the committee is expected to operate under to include: study the provisions contained in the Health Insurance Scheme Law 2017, isolate provisions of the Law that require immediate implementation and take necessary actions that will lead to the establishment of the Kwara State Health Insurance Agency.
Additionally, the Committee is to facilitate smooth implementation of the scheme, work on the prompt composition of a Board for the Agency, ensure the establishment of Kwara state Health Insurance Fund and take any other action(s) that will facilitate the assignment of the Committee.
After the inauguration of the committee, Governor Ahmed met with a team from PharmAccess Foundation led by Mr. Pieter Walhof, Director of the Scheme from Amsterdam.
Walhof said it is important for the State government to sustain the momentum of the Community Health Insurance Scheme and charged the government to immediately provide take-off grant for the new agency.
Governor Ahmed is the Chairman of the Implementation Committee, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold will serve as the Alternate Chairman, while Mr. A. M Odetokun is the Committee’s Secretary.
Members of the Committee are Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Barr Kamaldeen Ajibade, Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Sulyman Atolagbe Alege, SSA Government House, Alh. Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi, and Director-General of Kwara Public Private Partnership Bureau, Mr. Yomi Ogunsola.
Others are Director-General Kwara State Hospital Management Board, Dr. (Mrs) Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, Dr. (Mrs) Folorunsho, and the Executive Secretary of Kwara State Community Health Insurance Scheme (KWCHIS) Alh. Abdulsalam AbdulRasaq.