Gov. Buni Approves Free Medication For Retirees

DAMATURU — Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has approved free medical treatment for all state and local government retirees in the state to ease the challenge of accessing healthcare in old age.

The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, Dr. Babagana Tijjani, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Channels Television. He said the approval is part of the governor’s equity programme for vulnerable individuals. According to him, enrollment of retired state and local government employees is currently ongoing across the 17 local government areas of the state, with a take-off target of 20,000 retirees.

Dr. Tijjani also revealed that 45,000 civil servants have been enrolled into the formal sector programme over the last 7 years. Under the scheme, a civil servant contributes 1.75 percent of total salary while the state government contributes 3.25 percent. He explained that while 45,000 workers have been enrolled, the current dashboard reflects around 35,000, as some have exited service, retired, or died. On challenges, he noted that the growing number of enrollees sometimes makes it difficult for health providers to meet demand. He added that the government is working to ensure services are available in all healthcare facilities across the state.

Written by News Room