PHCDA tasks states on quality, effective healthcare delivery
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), had called on state governments to ensure delivery of quality and robust healthcare services to Nigerians.
The NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuaib made the appeal at a meeting of the Joint Implementation Mission, the Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP) and World Bank.
The stake holders met with eight commissioners of health and executive secretaries of State Primary Health Care Development Boards (SPHCDBs) of NSHIP.
The implementing states are Adamawa, Nasarawa, Ondo, Taraba, Gombe, Borno, Yobe and Bauchi.
Dr Shuaib, who was represented by Dr Oladimeji Olayinka, Director Primary Health Care Systems (PHCs) Development, said human resource was one of the major determinants of an effective and qualitative healthcare delivery system.
According to him, human resource in the health sector was more important because majority of ordinary Nigerians live in the rural areas where the PHCs are located.
He noted that states and local governments had crucial roles to play in healthcare delivery because they were responsible for the implementation of all PHCs policies and programmes.
“Health is an area where the neglect of one person quickly amounts to the neglect of many,’’ the executive director said.
Speaking on the NSHIP, Shuaib explained that: “It is a World Bank assisted project implemented by the NPHCDA.
“The framework provides results-based incentives, especially at service delivery points, to increase the delivery, use, and quality of high impact maternal and child health interventions.
“The project, which is modeling a new way of financing healthcare by paying on performance basis, was first started in Adamawa, Nasarawa and Ondo states.
“It has expanded to five more states namely; Taraba, Gombe, Borno, Yobe and Bauchi.
“Verification of claims of performance had been outsourced to Oxford Polices Management since 2013, in Ondo, Adamawa and Nasarawa,” he said.
He also said the Results-Based Financing Technical Assistant (TBF-TA) project under the NSHIP, was part of the agency’s efforts at addressing challenges of primary healthcare.
Shuaib, who noted that so far, the NSHIP/AF had attained 20 per cent target, said Nigeria’s aim was to make 10, 000 PHCs functional across all political wards.
The event also marked the handing over of the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL), to Dr Gyuri Fritche by the outgoing TTL, Dr Oluwole Odutolu. (NAN)
