By Muhammad Amaan
The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the State Primary Health Care Management Board (SPHCMB) have concluded a state-wide reaccreditation and data validation exercise across primary healthcare centres in Kano State.
The Executive Secretary of KSCHMA, Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar, disclosed this in a statement in Kano.
She said the 10-day exercise involved comprehensive assessments of healthcare facilities across several local government areas in the state.
According to her, the exercise was aimed at strengthening healthcare service delivery, ensuring compliance with established standards and enhancing accountability under key health financing mechanisms, particularly the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Dr Rahila Muktar explained that multidisciplinary teams conducted detailed evaluations covering infrastructure, availability of skilled health personnel, essential drugs and equipment, service delivery capacity, data integrity and effectiveness of referral systems.
She added that the exercise also featured on-the-spot mentorship for Primary Healthcare Centre in-charges to improve facility-level management, patient care and data reporting practices.
The executive secretary, however, noted that some facilities could not be accessed during the exercise due to access-related challenges.
She said plans were underway to revisit and assess the affected facilities to ensure full inclusion and comprehensive system strengthening.
Dr Rahila also identified access to healthcare services in hard-to-reach communities as a major concern, noting that long distances continued to limit utilisation of services in such areas.
According to her, referral systems were equally constrained by the distance between primary and secondary healthcare facilities, thereby affecting timely access to higher-level care.
She stated that the data validation component of the exercise had significantly improved the reliability and accuracy of healthcare data in the state.
“The exercise has provided a stronger evidence base for planning, resource allocation and targeted interventions across the healthcare system,” she said.
Rahila described the successful completion of the exercise as a critical milestone in ongoing efforts to strengthen Kano State’s healthcare system.
She said the initiative aligned with the vision of the Kano State Government under the Kano First Agenda, particularly in expanding access to quality, affordable and inclusive healthcare services for residents.
She reaffirmed the preparedness of KSCHMA, NHIA and SPHCMB to build a resilient, inclusive and efficient healthcare system that guarantees access to quality healthcare services for all residents.
