Ganduje signs health trust fund, supplementary budget

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has signed into law the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND) Bill, aimed at ensuring sustainable financing of the health care sector in the state.
A statement signed by Director General Media and Communications, to the Governor Salihu Tanko Yakasai and distributed to newsmen in Kano over the weekend, said the trust fund became necessary because “funds are becoming scarcer, the population increasing, and resources reducing yet challenges in the health sector continue to rise”.
It added that, the trust fund was the first of its kind in Nigeria and it is expected that the funds will accrue from a monthly deduction of five percent from the total monthly revenue generated by the state government, one percent monthly from the statutory allocation of the 44 local government councils as well as contributions from development partners, organizations and individuals, among others.
“In order to address the challenges in the health sector we came up with this initiative as well as the state Health Insurance Scheme and the Private Hospitals management Agency to ensure delivery of quality health care services in our state,” he added.
Governor Ganduje explained that a management committee would soon be soon be constituted to manage the fund, appealing for the cooperation of all to ensure success.
It is envisaged 60 percent of the funds generated would dedicated to primary and secondary health care facilities, 25 percent, health training, 10 percent management of malaria and nutrition while 5 percent would be committed to other services especially, addressing non communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, the governor also signed the state supplementary budget bill 2017, in the tune of N22, 377, 874, 716.
He explained that accenting to the bill, “Kano would have a balanced budget by ensuring that all projects outlined in the 2017 fiscal year are completed”.