The National Health Insurance Authority, has rolled out free emergency healthcare services for mothers and newborns in Kano State under its Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care Programme.
The initiative, which officially took off with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NHIA and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, seeks to reduce maternal and infant mortality by providing life-saving services such as emergency Caesarean sections, treatment for birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, jaundice, and acute surgical conditions.
Speaking at the event, the NHIA Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, represented by the Director of the Informal Sector Department, Dr. Sikiru Salaudeen, said the expansion to Kano builds on lessons from the Lagos pilot scheme.
“We have seen significant progress with the maternal component of this programme, which has already reached over 14,000 women nationwide. About 40 per cent of these beneficiaries are from Kano State.
“The neonatal component will further strengthen our capacity to save lives in critical situations,” Dr. Ohiri stated.
He explained that over 200 facilities across Nigeria are already offering maternal care under CEmONC, while four hospitals in Kano—including AKTH, Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, and Khalifah Sheikh Isiyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital—will pilot the neonatal care.
Prof. Abdurahman Suwaid, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at AKTH, who represented the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abdurrahman Sheshe, commended NHIA’s intervention.
“At AKTH alone, 972 women have already accessed care through this programme. This facility currently has the largest pool of NHIA beneficiaries in the country, and we believe the addition of neonatal services will save even more lives,” he said.
Also present was the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, who described the scheme as a major boost for the state’s health system.
