A mobile application to encourage Universal Health Coverage in Gombe State across all strata has been launched by Governor Mohammed Yahaya.
Yahaya launched the application during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, organised by GoHealth in collaboration with the German International Cooperation GIZ, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development, and Saif Advocacy Foundation.
The governor said, since the takeoff of the initiative about 60,000 state civil servants, with their dependents have been enrolled and more than 25,000 poor and vulnerable accessing health care services in the state.
He said the GoHealth ICT framework and blueprint would enable the state to leverage current and future ICT investments toward building an integrated health information infrastructure and greatly contribute to universal healthcare coverage.
Yahaya said, “In order to accelerate our drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage in the state, our administration adopted innovative use of ICT for health in order to improve service delivery, ensure responsiveness, increase access, expand coverage and offer financial risk protection to our people. It is in this regard that we developed a robust and functional ICT ecosystem for GoHealth.
“From the demonstration of the GoHealth mobile App we just witnessed, it is clear that the App is user-friendly, safe, and secure. It is meant to enable individuals and groups to enroll into the scheme, book appointments with their care providers, make enquiries as well as provide feedback to enable the government to take necessary measures to improve the quality of service.”
The Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, said the fund came into being following the government’s determination to attain Universal health coverage.
Sambo said, “It is unthinkable to operate a functional healthcare system without the introduction of Information Communication and Technology. When Healthcare services are enhanced in the country the life expectancy of its citizens will surge, thereby eliminating avoidable health complications leading to untimely death.”
Executive Director of LISDEL, Juliana Abude-Aribo, commended the government’s deliberate efforts at improving its health care services, while urging for increased funding
She said, “There should be complete disbursement of Gombe State equity for health, strengthening of institutional government structure of primary healthcare for optimal delivery.”
