Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
,,,,To Expand Access to Free Healthcare in the state
By correspondent in Lokoja.
The Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, is set to unveil a flagship healthcare intervention programme that will deliver free medical services to people in all parts of the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by Ismaila Isah,Special Adviser on Media to the Governor in Lokoja on Monday and made a copy available to The Reporters.
The Governor, he said,made this known while addressing members of the Nigeria Medical Association and other healthcare professionals who were at the Government House in Lokoja on his invitation.
This, according to the Governor’s aide,followed the conclusion of a 3-day medical outreach in the state by the healthcare professionals in the state under the Nigeria Medical Association in Kogi State.
At the meeting, Ododo expressed appreciation to the medical professionals for the success of the free medical outreach in the state.
He said the flagship health train would comprise all categories of healthcare professionals that would visit different parts of the state to deliver interventions aimed at complementing secondary and primary healthcare service delivery in the state.
The governor reiterated his commitment to sustain investment in the health sector, stressing that the free medical outreach is in line with his campaign promise to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to the people of the state.
He restated his commitment to ensure that health sector remains the top priority of the administration.
The Governor Ododo said:
“A healthy society is a wealthy society. I will continue to support you in this exercise and to ensure that the free medical outreach is extended to our people in all parts of the state.
“I want you to count on my support as we work together to make the free medical outreach a flagship programme in our calendar of medical activities in the state so that we can make healthcare more accessible and affordable to our people.”
He called on medical practitioners in the state to sustain their support for the administration and expand the scope of their collaboration with the government through the state ministry of health.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams, commended the medical team for the successful conduct of the free medical outreach which he noted was a clear testament to the dedication of medical professionals working in the State.
He also commended Governor Ododo for the attention given to the welfare of healthcare professionals in the state, and for providing the enabling environment for medical professionals to excel in the delivery of healthcare services to the people of the state.
Also speaking, Dr David Aimila, the Chairman of the committee of past chairmen of the NMA in Kogi State, described the free medical outreach as a high powered intervention that delivered unprecedented outcomes in various fields of medicine and healthcare to people, under a conducive working environment provided by the Kogi state government.
He praised Governor Ododo for the priority accorded the health sector and professionals by the administration.
Contributing ,Professor Solomon Avidime, Chief Medical Director, Reference Hospital Okene and host of the medical team,applauded Governor Ododo for the health-friendly posture of the administration.
While expressing the readiness of Reference Hospital Okene to host many of such medical missions, Professor Avidime emphasized the importance of the free medical outreach to the government and the people of the state.
According to him, the move complements the free health insurance policy of the state government by bridging the gap in healthcare coverage across the state.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
