Bukola Afeni
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT on Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the FCT administration has approved that all childbirth-related expenses, including vaginal and cesarean deliveries, are fully covered at no cost.
She stated this during a tour of the MAMI Health facility at Gwarinpa District Hospital in Abuja.
Dr Fasawe also explained that there will be
free health insurance coverage for all pregnant women residing in the FCT.
She further noted that for pregnant women to benefit from the free cesarean section, they have to register with the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS), adding that the scheme also comes with infant care after delivery.
The initiative formed part of activities marking this year’s event under the Renewed Hope Initiative, which maintains a zero-tolerance stance on maternal and infant mortality.
“This is in alignment with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, several hospitals in the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEONC) centers. These facilities will also offer cesarean sections free of charge, ” she added.
The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo gave assurance that the health body will support the government to ensure free insurance for pregnant women.
“We look forward to supporting you, and I am bearing the mandatory Secretary witness as she announces that insurance will be free, and we will monitor that to be sure that it is free.
“We are hopeful that we will, by example, provide your offspring with a healthy beginning so that the child that will be born will be born healthy, we will have the opportunity to grow, thrive, and prosper.” He stated .
