Bauchi commended for consistency on 15% budgetary health allocation, lament poor release of allocation to MDAs, constant change of Health Commissioners

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By Akanji Alowoludo, Bauchi

Bauchi State Government has been commended for consistently allocating 15 per cent of the state total budget to the health sector in line with the Abuja Declaration.

The commendation was made by a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Journalists for Public Health Development and Initiative (J4PD) at the end of a 3-day media training on MPDSR held at Misau over the weekend.

J4PD however lamented poor release of such allocation to the health related MDAs thereby slowing down the implementation of programmes that would have improved healthcare service delivery. 

It therefore called for prompt releases of allocation stressing that quality healthcare service delivery can only be achieved with availability of funds on a regular basis. 

J4PD also lamented that regular changes of headship of the Ministry of Health is hindering programme implementation as anyone who comes will rather develop his or her own programme than to fully implement the on in process. 

It advised the Government to ensure consistency in the appointment of Commissioner of Health to avoid break in policy implementation. 

J4PD therefore advocated to Governor Bala Mohammed for the return of the immediate past Commissioner, Dr Sabiu Abdu Gwalabe as Commissioner of Health considering the tremendous successes recorded in his short stint in the Ministry which has been attested to by all the Implementating Partners (IPs) working in the state. 

As working partners, J4PD called on the State Ministry of Health and other health related agencies to as a matter of necessity, engage media in all activities in order to improve healthcare services delivery through sustainable reportage.

Members of the J4PD thereby committed to improve on Media advocacy on issues of MPCDRS reportage, programmes and massages in order to increase awareness on the issues.

The members then resolved to employ field visits to selected health facilities across the state in order ascertain level of facility implementation of MPCDRS.

Therefore, to achieve the set objectives, J4PD members are to conduct interactive sessions with Stakeholders on issues relating to Maternal and child health which is the basic of quality healthcare service delivery aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

J4PD concluded by commending USAID-IHP for funding and facilitating the media training on Maternal, Perinatal Child Death Surveillance Response (MPCDSR) stressing that members learnt a lot from the presentations led by Technical Director of USAID-IHP, Dr Ibrahim Kabo supported by MPCDSR Specialist, Dr Robinson, Communication Specialist, Boniface Kassam as well as the Secretary, Bauchi State MPCDSR Steering Committee, Zuwaira Baba.