Government restates commitment to promote healthcare delivery in Bayelsa

By Ajibola Expenses

Bayelsa state government has restated its commitment to promote healthcare delivery in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele dropped the hint while speaking at the take-off implementation and registration of eligible enrollees into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund in the state at Agudama-Epie Comprehensive Health Centre, in Yenagoa. 

 

The Commissioner who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Dr Wisdom Ebiye Soya enjoined eligible enrollees in the state to take the opportunity provided for them by the government and turn out en-mass to enroll in the programme to improve their health condition. 

Dr. Igwele said the enrollment exercise would be carried out at the 107 Health Centers in the 105 wards of the state.

In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS), Dr. Zuoboemi Agadah commended the people of Agudama-Epie for coming out in their numbers to enroll in the programme. 

Dr. Zuoboemi Agadah

 Dr. Agadah disclosed that the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme established by the state government for those in the formal and informal sectors is functioning creditably.

He said that the federal government apart from the National Health Insurance Scheme has provided another fund under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) for all the states of the federation, stating that the state government has received the fund and all modalities to ensure proper use of the fund has been put in place.

He said that the fund is provided for only those who have no means to earn money, old age persons, children of 5years and pregnant women, stressing that persons registered under the scheme will receives free health care at the designated health centres.

The Executive Secretary commended the federal government and the NHIS for providing the fund to enable people ordinarily could not have money take care of themselves in hospital. He also applauded the state government for sustaining the BHIS.

Also speaking, the chairman of Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme, Prof Onyeye Kunle-Olowu said the programme was organized to enroll the beneficiaries under the scheme, pointing out that government realized that for them to remain healthy they have to go the hospital for treatment. Prof Kunle-Olowu advised the enrollees to go to the designated health centres whenever the need arise.

Also, in her overview of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), the Head of Department of Medical and Quality Assurances, Dr P. Ungbuku said fund was as a result of the National Health Act (NHACT) enacted in 2014 to strengthen the health system, achieve Universal health coverage (UHC), and improve health indices with the consequential improvement in economic productivity.

She said to achieve these objectives the Act specifies that all Nigerians shall be entitled to a Basic Minimum package of Health Service (BMPHS), which will be funded principally through the BHCPF.

According to her the Act prescribes that the BHCPF would be funded through a federal government (FG) annual grant of not less than one percent of its consolidated revenue fund (CRF), grants by international donor partners and funds from other sources.

She stressed that the overall objective of the BHCPF was to ensure the provision of the BMPHS and strengthen the primary Health Care (PHC) system as well as provide emergency medical treatment. This, she said would be achieved through three payment and implementation gateways.

The gateways are the National Health Insurance Scheme which 50% of the fund is disbursed for the provision of the BMPHS in eligible primary and secondary health facilities, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) got 45% of the fund to strengthen PHC facilities through the provision of essential drugs, vaccines and consumables, provision and maintenance of health facilities, laboratory, equipment and transport and development of human resources.

The third gateway is the National Emergency Treatment Committee, would utilizes 5 percent of the fund for the provision of emergency medical treatment.

She pointed out that the NHIS was saddled to implement the BHCPF at the state level in collaboration with the state Social Health Insurance Agency (SSHIA), which in case of Bayelsa State is the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS).

Other guests who at the event are the Chairmen Bayelsa State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Dr Godbless N. Oyinke, the State Coordinator National Health Insurance Scheme/Member Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Obaro Ologbo, the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Elder (Comrade) John Bipre Ndiomu, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Laye Julius, Dr Ugheighele Leonard, the WHO State Coordinator and Dr Okoyen Ebikapaye, State Programmes Manager-SOML as well as Mr Okechukwu Christian, the State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency Bayelsa State.

The highlight of the event was the inaugural registration of the enrollees into the BHCPF by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele.