Olawale Ajimotokan
The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration has inaugurated a 15- member Committee for the Disbursement and Monitoring of Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT), facilities to carter for the health needs of the poor and most vulnerable persons in the FCT.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the acting Secretary, FCT Health and Human Service Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, said the committee was constituted to ensure optimal coordination of the EMT in FCT.
Kawu, who stated that the EMT is one of the three gateways of the basic health care provision fund, noted that the resilience of Emergency Medical Treatment has been tested on several occasions, and its efficiency and effectiveness require a lot of improvement.
While stressing that the administration under the leadership of the minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, is committed to ensuring the well being of all residents of FCT, Kawu noted that measures were been put in place to enhance the optical operationalisation of EMT.
He implored members of the committee to put in their best as required to fully optimise the operationalisation of EMT service in FCT.
Speaking after the inauguration, the Chairman of the Committee, Dr Ahmadu Abubakar, who is also the Director, Medical and Diagnostic Department, FCT Health and Human Service Secretarial, assured the secretary that members of the committee will work hard to ensure the success of the project.
Abubakar identified inadequate resources to fund desired health projects and inadequate trained manpower as some of the factors militating the provision of basic healthcare system in the society.
“Because the National Health Act is a law, it is binding for the government to give an annual grant of not less than one percent of its consolidated revenue to the BHCPF.
“The 2014 National Health Act ensured the provision of basic Minimum package of health services (BMPHS) and Emergency Medical Treatment (EMT) to all Nigerians,” he said.
The concept of the Universal Health Coverage was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2005.
It is aimed at providing a specific health care benefits package to all members of a defined population by providing financial risk protection in the course of accessing necessary health care services.
Members of the committee were carefully selected and are representative of relevant stakeholders to deploy available resources, both human and material, in line with international best practices.
