The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has directed the immediate enrolment of pregnant women across 63 healthcare facilities in the state as part of efforts to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes and reduce preventable maternal deaths.
The agency said the initiative would contribute to protecting mothers, improving newborn survival and advancing the broader health priorities of the Kano First Healthcare Agenda.
The directive, issued by the Executive Secretary of KSCHMA, Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar, covers 36 secondary healthcare facilities and 27 primary healthcare facilities across Kano State.
The agency said the initiative is in line with the Kano First Healthcare Agenda and is designed to remove financial barriers that prevent pregnant women from accessing essential healthcare services.
According to KSCHMA, the intervention will facilitate access to antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency obstetric care and postnatal services for pregnant women across the state.
Dr. Rahila said every pregnant woman should have timely access to quality healthcare irrespective of her financial circumstances.
“Every pregnant woman deserves timely access to quality healthcare, regardless of her financial circumstances,” she said.
She added that the directive was part of the agency’s commitment to ensuring that women receive appropriate care before, during and after delivery, while contributing to efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
The KSCHMA executive secretary also directed healthcare providers to maintain high professional standards and ensure that women receive respectful, compassionate and patient-centred care.
She stressed that quality service delivery was critical to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The agency said it would continue to strengthen collaboration with healthcare providers and other stakeholders to expand healthcare coverage, improve utilisation of health services and advance Universal Health Coverage across Kano State.
The intervention, KSCHMA said, further demonstrates the commitment of the Kano State Government to strengthening the Contributory Healthcare Scheme and ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent pregnant women from accessing essential healthcare.