Minna — The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to provide free qualitative healthcare services to vulnerable groups in the country.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua disclosed this in Minna at the official flag- off of free medical service for pregnant women and children.

Yar'Adua, who was represented by the Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Hassan Lawal, said human capital Development would be given priority attention by the government.

He stated that the Federal Government would liaise with the National Assembly to adequately fund the health needs of the valnerable groups in the country.

According to him, a holistic approach would be adopted to tackle the twin problem of maternal and infant mortality rate in Nigeria.

The president commended the pro- active collaborative efforts of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS), in the quest to provide qualitative and affordable healthcare services for Nigerians.

Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, in his address, disclosed that the state government had provided a matching grant of N1.7 billion to the NHIS and another N502 million to the MDGS to enable the state benefit as one of the six participating pilot states in the project.

Aliyu explained that "we are doing this because, we realise that effective primary healthcare delivery is the corner stone of a sustainable health development agenda, particularly in a developing health system."

He said the MDGS fund would be utilised in providing 40,000 treated mosquito nets and malaria drugs, renovation and equipping of 100 health centres, provision of 50 rural ambulances and construction and equipping of 100 new primary healthcare centres across the state.

According to him, "we are making frantic afforts at revitalising our moribund health institutions at the state and local government levels to bring them in line with our vision of becoming one of the top three most developed states in Nigeria by the year 2020."