FG gives approval at no cost medical services for rural women, children in Nasarawa
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate.
FG gives approval at no cost medical services for rural women, children in Nasarawa
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate has approved the implementation of the Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transport programme across the 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State to boost health care delivery.
RESMAT aims to provide emergency medical services and transport to pregnant women and children under the age of five years, especially in the hard-to-reach areas of the state at no cost.
The Chairman of the Nasarawa State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems, Dr. Umar Apeshi made the disclosure during an advocacy visit to the office of the Deputy Governor by the State’s Emergency Medical Technical Committee in Lafia on Thursday.
While noting that the approach is also aimed at reducing the high morbidity and mortality rates in the state, the NASEMSAS chairman noted that the RESMAT programme is a sub-set of the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems programme.
Speaking about the benefits of the programme, Apeshi who explained that treatment will be free for patients in the first 48 hours, added that no counterpart funding will be needed because it is already part of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.
He further explained that there would be an upgrade of facilities at the secondary and primary healthcare facilities, adding that ambulance tricycles will also be supplied by the Federal Government to the 30 selected PHCs across the state at the commencement of the program, among other benefits.
“The RESMAT programme is part of efforts of the government to improve access to emergency medical services in rural settings which is in alignment with the tenets of the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative,” he added.
Apeshi, therefore appealed to the Nasarawa state government to fully support the FG’s initiative in order to ensure that women, children and other residents in the rural communities have an unhindered access to quality healthcare.
He said, “The role of the state government is to buy in to make the program successful. Upgrade or purchase of new facilities at treatment centres where necessary to meet up with accreditation requirements
“Setting up of command and control centres which can be temporarily at the State Ministry of Health, and provision of office space and furnishing which can also be temporarily at the SMoH, among other roles.”
FG gives approval at no cost medical services for rural women, children in Nasarawa.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Dr. John Damina said that three medical facilities in each of the 147 electoral wards in the state would be used for the implementation of the programme.
The Permanent Secretary added that members of the committee were carefully selected because of their critical roles in the health sector.
Damina, therefore assured that with the support of the Nasarawa State government, the ministry will do everything possible to ensure that the programme succeeds in the state.
Responding, the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe appreciated the federal government for the intervention, and pledged the commitment of the state government to support the initiative given the importance of improving healthcare access for rural communities.
Akabe further said that the state government would provide an office for the team and establish a command center at the State Ministry of Health as requested.
Our correspondent reports that the implementation team comprises of heads of health departments and agencies in the state, Red Cross Society, Nigeria Union of Journalists, among others.
