This is the 2nd part of the interview conducted with Dr. Ado Muhammad Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) by Ndidi Chukwu of Health Reporters that 2015 holds better things for the nation. (2015; Election year will not affect Health Care Services- NPHCDA Boss)
HR; The dwindling oil price may affect SURE-P MNCH, looking at the achievement the health sector has recorded through SURE-P; will the NPHCDA forfeit this programme since you now have a health act?
Dr Ado – The essence of Conditional Cash Transfer for MNCH, under the SURE-P programme is an incentive for pregnant women to go for antenatal care and when they are due for delivery to go to the facility to deliver their babies. It is to create demand for services and we are seeing results in that in terms of more women going for antenatal care and more women going to benefit from skilled birth attendance, improvement in maternal health and reduction in maternal mortality. We will not allow this kind of programme to die off like that. What we are doing is to work on several exist strategy, before now, we had considered the health bill becoming an act, there will be some funds being made available which is under the basic health care funds and part of that fund we will use to ensure that this services are sustained. The modalities for what will happen is been worked out, I want to assure you that successful programmes like the CCT and the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), we will identify innovative ways of continue funding.
HR; The health workers strike has lingered, and it affects PHCs where you have more nurses and midwives, how is the agency coping with that?
Dr Ado; Our midwives are not part of the union they are still working in facilities all over the country and there has not been any report that any of our midwives have stop work. The Minister of Health is on the strike issue, and discussing with the union, and the leaders to come back to work and I am sure very soon they will go back to work. The health act which has been accented by Mr. President will resolve the issue of industrial actions by health sector, because there is a provision within the act that says any strike has to be resolved within a certain period of time. The implementation of the act will address the issue of disharmony in the sector. The minister is on it and very soon he will officially speak on that.
HR; Has the NPHCDA and GAVI resolved issues yet?
Dr Ado; The Minister has made a statement on the GAVI issue; the minister has said that the report was unilateral and inconclusive. We have had that discussion with GAVI and the requisition will take place because what was taken out to public space is not really what is on ground, and the Minister has been in talks with GAVI and reconciliation will take place soon.
