By Bukola Adama
Kwara State Government is to put appropriate law in place that will allow for the expansion of the state’s Health Insurance Scheme.
The state governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed who dropped the hint while receiving a management of Starkey Hearing Foundation who paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Ilorin said the law is to define the agency and its responsibilities.
Governor Ahmed said the government had resolved to ensure that the programmes had state-wide coverage with a view to increasing the citizens’ access to health care delivery.
The governor who spoke about the state’s commitment to citizens’ health explained that his government is poised to ensure availability and accessibility of health care system.
He further assured that the state government will continue to commit resources to the health sector in order to meet the health needs of the citizenry.
He therefore, praised Starkey Hearing Foundation and Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation for the assistance, saying that it would go a long way in complementing the state government’s efforts in the health sector.
The Team Leader of Starkey Hearing Foundation, Dr Lukman Lawal disclosed that the sum of N700million had been committed to the project in Nigeria, saying that each hearing aid costs about N500,000.
Dr Lawal told the governor that about 2,500 patients were attended to in the first phase of the exercise in five selected states of the federation including Kwara.
He explained that the Foundation was already providing assistance in 54 countries of the world in areas of education, service delivery and capacity building.
Lawal commended the state governments for the partnership in providing hearing care for the people of the state and sought for the state government’s assistance in the area of follow up services in the maintenance of the earring aid for the recipients.
