The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has ordered the immediate enrolment of pregnant women across 63 health facilities in the state.
The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Turaki, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Kano.
Turaki said the directive was issued by the Executive Secretary of KSCHMA, Dr Rahila Muktar, as part of efforts to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes and reduce preventable maternal deaths.
Muktar said the intervention covered 36 secondary healthcare facilities and 27 primary healthcare facilities across the state.
According to her, the initiative is in line with the Kano First Healthcare Agenda and is aimed at removing financial barriers to essential maternal healthcare services.
Muktar said the services include antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency obstetric care and postnatal services, adding that the intervention reflected the agency’s commitment to ensuring that pregnant women received timely and quality healthcare throughout pregnancy and childbirth.
“This directive is part of our commitment to ensuring that women across Kano State can access the care they need before, during and after delivery, while contributing meaningfully to the reduction of preventable maternal deaths,” she said.
Muktar also charged healthcare providers to maintain high professional standards and provide respectful, compassionate and patient-centred care.
She stressed that quality service delivery was critical to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The executive secretary said KSCHMA would continue to strengthen collaboration with healthcare providers and relevant stakeholders to expand healthcare coverage, improve service utilisation and advance Universal Health Coverage in the state.
She added that the intervention demonstrated the commitment of the Kano State Government to strengthening the Contributory Healthcare Scheme and ensuring that financial constraints did not prevent pregnant women from accessing essential healthcare services.
According to her, the initiative would further support efforts to protect mothers, improve newborn survival and advance the broader health priorities of the Kano First Healthcare Agenda.
