WorldStage Newsonline— As part of efforts to reach out to more people under its health care initiatives, the Kaduna State Government has announced plan to commenced a programme to support the elderly in the state.
The state commissioner of Health, Dr Poul Dogo, who disclosed this during a quarterly interactive forum in Kaduna, said the programme was run in partnership with a France-based pharmaceutical company, Servier.
“We have started a programme to support the elderly as promised by the governor.
“We will support them with free medical care, putting in mind two diseases – diabetes and hypertension.
“If any of them is admitted in the hospital the bill will be paid by government.
“And in the event of death during admission in the hospital, a small component of life insurance and money will be given to the family of the deceased,’’ he said.
Dogo said the state government had issued cheques to three elderly patients at the Gwana Awan Hospital to settle their hospital bills.
He added that government had already trained more than 200 health care providers to take care of the elderly in the state.
“I assure you the drugs that were given are very good and expensive; we thanks the governor for agreeing to help the elderly who have contributed in building Kaduna state,’’ he added.
The commissioner said that government was investing a lot in training health institutions in the state to secure their accreditation.
He said: “a month ago the College of Midwifery, Tudun wada, received full accreditation as a nursing and midwifery school.
“A bill to establish a multipurpose state college of nursing and midwifery has been sent to the state assembly, so as to make staff training accessible at significantly reduced cost.’’
