Day Kano health commissioner flagged-up distribution of free MNCH charter

The Kano State Commissioner of Health Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso has formally flagged up the distribution of the Kano State Free Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Service Charter, developed by the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS)

The Kano State Commissioner of Health Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso has formally flagged up the distribution of the Kano State Free Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Service Charter, developed by the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) and its State advocacy partners – the PPMCH, VAP AND BTG – to zonal directors of both Secondary and Primary Healthcare facilities across the Kano State.

The flag-up of the distribution of the service charter took place in a brief ceremony held at the commissioner’s office recently was attended by the various zonal directors of the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

With the support from Champion for Change (C4C), an initiative of the Public Health Institute (PHI), Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS) had, in 2016, spearheaded the establishment of a Free Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services program (FMNCH) Service Charter for Kano State Ministry of Health.

The program aims to empower Kano citizens to be able to demand for accountability in the delivery of the Government’s free Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Program.

Speaking during the flag-up of the distribution of the charter, Dr Getso thanked YOSPIS and other civil society organizations and development partners for coming up with the charter which he said will support the delivery of quality healthcare services in Kano state.

“The document (service charter) will help in ensuring smooth implementation of the free maternal, neonatal and child health policy in Kano state,” says the commissioner. “It will ensure services are provided to clients the way it should be which will certainly improve the effectiveness of services.”

Dr Getso stated that there was no better time to flag-up the distribution of the free MNCH service charter than this week during which Kano state was commemorating the biannual Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) Week adding that the state had planned special interventions to that effect.

“We have planned interventions targeted at improving the healthy wellbeing of women and children in the state including the provision of antenatal care drugs, immunization against tetanus as well as health education on personal and environmental hygiene and birth registration etc,” says Dr Getso.

While presenting the Service Charter earlier, Muhammad Sageer, the executive director of YOSPIS, said they are going come up with a monitoring plan to ensure the proper implementation of the service charter down to facility level calling for the support of the various zonal directors of the state’s primary healthcare development agency.

Speaking on behalf of the zonal directors, Abubakar S Abdul, the zonal director in charge of Wudil zone said the state government is currently revamping over 1200 primary healthcare facilities across the state including provision of equipment, trained personnel and pledges to ensure the implementation of the charter.

“I and my colleagues receive it (the FMNCH Service Charter) in good faith. We are going to try our best, make use of the service charter every day and you can come anytime to monitor the implementation of the charter,” he pledged.