By  Chioma Obinna

Worried about the fact that Nigeria ranks among countries with unenviable maternal and child mortality indices, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) reiterated its determination to continue in its giant strides to change the tide.

General Manager, Contribution Management of the Scheme, Mr. Umar Namadi who spoke in Jigawa State while addressing participants at a workshop for Healthcare Providers stressed that the series of sensitization workshops were part of the overall efforts towards changing the current situation.

Namadi in a paper titled “Mode of Operation of the NHIS-MDGs Maternal and Child Health Project” for Primary Healthcare Providers, emphasized the need to accelerate achievements, particularly on goal four and five of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

According to him, MDGs goals four and five are aimed at improving the health status of pregnant women and children under five.

He reaffirmed the need for all stakeholders to focus more on addressing the critical problems of providing access to healthcare services for pregnant women and children under five, adding that history was being made in the current drive by NHIS and the MDGs office to positively affect the lives of women and children.

Recounting that the first phase of the Sensitization Workshops were held in Jahun, Karfin Hausa and Birnin Kudu Local Government Areas and the second phase billed to come on stream shortly, he urged Providers to update their financial records as that is one of the critical requirements of participating in the project.

He urged providers not to hesitate to report issues of delayed payments by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to the scheme.

Speaking, Director, Gunduma Health System, Dr.Hussaina Usaina Adamu, expressed delight at the timely introduction of the project, stating that the State established the Gunduma Health System to help improve the poor health indices of  the state.