Esther Salifu
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has unveiled the neonatal component of its Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) programme in Kano State, expanding access to critical health services for mothers and newborns.
The milestone initiative, flagged off through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NHIA and the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), is aimed at expanding healthcare access to vulnerable groups, particularly newborns in critical conditions.
The development was confirmed in a statement signed by Emmanuel Ononokpono, Acting Director of Media and Public Relations, NHIA.
The programme kicked off with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NHIA and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
According to NHIA Director General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, represented by Dr. Sikiru Salaudeen, “four hospitals in Kano, including AKTH, will pilot the neonatal
Dr. Salaudeen noted that “the new component builds on the maternal programme, which has treated more than 14,000 women nationwide, 40 percent of them in Kano.” He explained that “the neonatal service will cover conditions such as birth asphyxia, sepsis, jaundice, and acute surgical emergencies, with independent verifiers engaged for accountability.”
Commending the initiative, Prof. Abdurahman Suwaid, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at AKTH, disclosed that “972 women have already benefited from the maternal programme in the facility, making it the country’s largest holder of NHIA beneficiaries.”
NHIA also signed MoUs with three other state-owned facilities in Kano: Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, and Khalifah Shiek Isiyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital.
