Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe on Friday inaugurated the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Agency (YOSCHMA) and the Yobe State Drugs and Consumables Revolving Fund Agency (YODMA).
Buni said the decision to establish YOSCHMA and YODMA emanated from the national policy which gave state governments the power to create agencies that would manage their healthcare programmes for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He said “the two agencies are institutional structures of this administration to improve advanced healthcare financing through contributions paid into a common pool to make quality healthcare services accessible and affordable.”
He noted that the speedy takeoff of the two agencies was a clear commitment of government to ensure their services maximally benefited the state.
He said the management of the two agencies would prove their capacities, justify their objectives and make the state proud by achieving the set goals of improving the healthcare system of the state.
The Executive Secretary of YODMA, Dr Muhammed Gana, said the agency was meant to provide effective and efficient healthcare services aimed at achieving UHC.
He added that the organisation would also ensure that residents of Yobe accessed promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services of good quality at an affordable cost without the risk of financial hardship linked to paying for care.
He noted that YODMA would provide corporate regulation, coordination and supervision of the activities related to drugs, reagents and medical consumables supply system, including the revolving fund operations in the state.
Dr Babagana Tijjani, the Executive Secretary YOSCHMA, said the agency had enrolled through ICT platform, a total of 148.698 civil servants and their dependants as beneficiaries.
He added that most enrollees started accessing healthcare services since Sept. 25 in line with the scheme’s guidelines.
Edited By: Shittu Obassa/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
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