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By Akanji Alowolodo, Bauchi
Stakeholders in the health sector of Bauchi State have reiterated their commitment to ensuring that quality and affordable healthcare service delivery was enhanced for the people.
The commitment is in line with the SDGs 3 which enhances healthcare and wellbeing of every citizen in order to achieve the objectives of the Universal Healthcare for all by the year 2030.
The stakeholders variously made the commitment at the end of a one day validation meeting of the policy brief on full implementation of the NHIA Act held at the Hazibal Suites, Bauchi on Tuesday.
Bauchi State office of the National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA) restated its commitments to improving financial access to healthcare delivery services in the state
State Coordinator of the NHIA, Aminu Tanimu stressed that the new act has made it mandatory the implementation of the Patients Bill of Rights which promotes equity and access to quality healthcare with dignity.
Represented at the meeting by HOD, Standard and Quality Assurance, Dr Hassan Musa Shuaibu, he also assured that the enrollee forum will be strengthened in order to ensure that adequate information is provided on how to effectively utilize the health insurance scheme.
According to him, NHIA will intensify sporadic and sustained unscheduled visits to Healthcare providers to ensure Quality assurance in all the Implementing facilities.
He stressed also that accreditation and re-accreditation of the facilities will be done every 2 years to ensure that they are keeping to the requirements of the scheme just complaint received by management involves in reconcilation exercise and work together for Information dissemination.
On its own commitment, Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) stressed that it will ensure proper enlightenment of the enrolled, services provided to scale up access to service in order to reduce Maternal and child Mortality.
Executive Secretary of BASHCMA, Dr Mansur Dada further said that there will be sustained Advocacy on timely and adequate release of the health budget for Agency to fulfill its mandate.
He also assured that there will be the sustainance of the BASHCMA call centre 247 live lines for effective Client Satiffaction Survey across the state just he assured that there will be Monthly Data collection as well as 3 months review meetings quarterly and assurance of visit to the providing facilities , every quarter.
Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC) restated its commitment to engaging in serious advocacy on government to not only budget of BASHCMA but promptly and adequately release such allocation to enable it operate.
Chairman of BASNEC, John Jinjiri while commending to organizers of the meeting, stressed that considering the importance of Healthcare insurance, government must do everything possible to ensure that allocation was released.
He stressed that advocacy for the release of health budgetary allocation is very important to make government act appropriately calling for release of Counterpart funds.
BASNEC will also ensure that Bauchi State Contributory Pension Funds (BHCPF.) is Strengthened and courage more from Betfund while it will advocate alternative source of funding calling on NLC commit to Monthly deductions.
Programme Manager of Beter Life Restoration Initiative, Nkem Ogbonna assured that his organization will be committed to engaging in advocacy on the need for timely release of budgetary allocation to the BASHCMA.
He also assured that his organization will participate in programs that will ensure that healthcare delivery services reached every citizen across the state in line with the UN resolution on UHC.
Nkem Ogbonna also assured that enrollees of the scheme will continue to be sensitize through a Hausa program on BRC substation in Azare which is a Weekly radio program c ‘Hanu Da yawa’ .
As for Journalists for Public Health Development Initiative (J4PD), there will be advocacy, community and social mobilization to amplify the exercise.
Coordinator of J4PD, Ms Elizabeth Nange Kah assured of Sustained media engagement on Enrollment teams to sensitize the beneficiaries on the need to be enrolled in the scheme.
She added that there will be high Level advocacy to be spearheaded by its members advocacy to influence that there is adequate information through sensitization and evidence based (PEA) to facilitate adequately release using bucket score card to do that.
BaSAM also assured that it will be committed to advocacy for timely and adequate release of the budgetary allocation to healthcare services especially the operation of BASHCMA
It will also join to advocate for more release into the pocket of BASHCMA to enroll more participants into the scheme to have more beneficiaries; Quarterly state oversight Committee and strengthen BHCPF stakeholders meeting.
The NAN restated commitment to Sustained reports and amplify voices of the people who needed to be enrolled into the scheme as well as develop a Strategic plan, work with critical stakeholders to create awareness on the new program.
The stakeholders generally stressed the need for traditional rulers and religious leaders as well as the Media to be committed to the success of the scheme in line with the objectives of establishing the agency.
The validation meeting is targeted at Improving The Realization Of The Right To Health In Nigeria as being implemented by CSJ and funded by USAID under the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project.
