Former Minister for Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, has inaugurated a community health centre worth N80 million in Isanlu, the headquarters of Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The project, a community self-help, was aimed at providing health services at subsidised rate to the people and to enable the community key into mutual community-based National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which was kicked off by President Goodluck Jonathan last December.
The inauguration also came on the heel of the commencement of the annual Isanlu Medical Mission, organised by the US-based Hospital for Humanity, in collaboration with Isanlu Community Health, where people from all walks of life received free medical treatment
The Chairman, Isanlu Heath Development Trust Fund and former Minister for Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo stated that it was aimed at using health as entry point to break the vicious circle of ill-health, poverty and under development through strategic intervention which were to be implemented in phases.
Lambo explained that in response as a community to the poor status of the public health facilities indeed, motivated the community to build a health centre as one major intervention to be owned by the community and managed by the community.
He pointed out that much has been done in the area of community health services by the three tiers of government, adding that health delivery were divided into three segment, the primary, secondary and tertiary services.
He, however, added that the Nigeria constitution has not placed any responsibility on the three tiers of government as to who handle, what and how.
The former minister enjoined the people of Isanlu Health Centre to register with NHIS on payment of N1,500 per year, saying this would afford them quality health services.
He charged the government at all levels to tackle under-development and also take issue of health of people at grass roots very serious.
He said that the project was in line with realisation of objectives to provide free health services to the people in Isanlu community and its environs.
Culled from Tribune
