THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N62.7 billion for the construction of Kano–Gwarzo–Dayi road, linking Kano and Katsina States.
The Council meeting also approved the introduction of platonic medical records and management for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Ministers of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola as well as Health, Osagie Ehanire, made these known when they briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memorandum for the construction of Kano – Gwarzo -Dayi road and it was approved for N62.7 billion, to be executed in 24 months,” Fashola said.
On his part, Ehanire said the council approved the introduction of platonic medical records and management for the National Health Insurance Scheme.
According to the minister, the platform will help manage payments and claims as well as health records of patients to enhance transparency and accountability.
He said, “The Ministry of Health presented a memo on behalf of the National Health Insurance Scheme, to introduce platonic medical records and management in a concept known as e-NHIS, creating an electronic governance platform.
“This will allow interoperability with all other stakeholders, including particularly the State Health Insurance Schemes, Health Management Organisations and hospitals, who offer services to patients.
“This will be a platform for managing payments and claims and also patient records to install transparency and accountability.”
“This is necessary because the basic healthcare provision fund is going onstream and will include a large number of people being registered, so that we move away from paper to electronic management,” he further explained.
Ehanire said the project was being carried out by Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy through its agency, Galaxy backbone, who were chosen in preference to a foreign company that charged higher.
He added that the benefits for using an indigenous company were many, saying such benefits included job creation and data security, among others.
– NAN