In a groundbreaking move, the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth) has set a precedent by establishing a formal structure for healthcare management in all local government areas within the state. This initiative marks a significant leap toward enhancing health services at the grassroots level.
The Agency has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first state contributory healthcare agency in Nigeria to establish a formal structure in every local government area. This strategic move is aimed at ensuring comprehensive healthcare coverage across the entire state. A recent approval by the Gombe State government has paved the way for the inclusion of local government workers in the contributory healthcare scheme. This decision has resulted in the enrolment of workers in the local governments (the enrolment of their dependants is now on the front burner), thereby expanding the reach and impact of the contributory health scheme.
The newly commissioned area offices are poised to serve multiple functions, acting as call and contact centers, centers for enrolment, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E) centers, as well as centers for quality assurance services. This holistic approach ensures a streamlined and efficient administration of the contributory health scheme.
The commissioning of call centers in local government areas is a strategic move to decentralize healthcare services from the state headquarters. This shift will bring contact and call centers closer to the beneficiaries, facilitating improved communication, administration, and monitoring of the contributory health scheme in Gombe State.
To ensure the seamless functioning of the area offices, all required basic facilities have been provided. This commitment to infrastructure ensures that the local government area offices are well-equipped to deliver quality healthcare services to the community. Enrolees from the various local areas need not to travel to the state capital, they now have an office at the doorsteps where they can lay out their complaints, enroll their family members, and demand information. The offices will also serve to enroll people within the informal sector space. Farmers, artisans, and everyone not in formal employment by the government or an organized private sector fall into this category.
The establishment of these local government area offices by GoHealth deserves commendation and praise. This innovative approach not only signifies a paradigm shift in healthcare provision but also reinforces the Gombe State government’s unwavering commitment to the health sector. The efforts invested in setting up these offices add significant impetus to the state’s overarching goal of enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality.
GoHealth’s strategic initiatives in Gombe State exemplify a forward-thinking approach to healthcare administration, setting a benchmark for other regions to follow. The establishment of local government area offices signifies a paradigm shift in the provision of health services at the grassroots, underscoring the importance of accessible and quality healthcare for all.
I would like to extol the forward-thinking acumen of His Excellency, Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for not only establishing Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency but for his immutable support to the scheme. The same accolade goes to the indefatigable staff under the able leadership of the Executive Secretary. For GoHealth, the commissioning of these local government area offices will serve as a springboard toward the ultimate aim of attaining Universal Health Coverage. In his remarks during the commissioning of one of the offices, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Gombe State Coordinator, “Gombe State is likely to attain Universal Health Coverage before the deadline set by WHO”.
Tanimu Umar is the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at GoHealth
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