Service delivery: Stakeholders review FCT healthcare system
By Awayi Kuje
Bills
Keffi (Nasarawa State), March 20, 2018 (NAN) Stakeholders concerned with improved healthcare service delivery are reviewing the statutes establishing the responsible agencies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agencies are the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board (FCTPHCDB) and Health Service Scheme (FHSS)
The FCT Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Ms Amanda Pam, said this at the opening of a 5-day workshop for the key stakeholders on Tuesday in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Pam said the stakeholders are undertaking the review with the support of USAID funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) project to strengthen the agencies toward providing more effective healthcare.
She said that the project would enhance the operations of the agencies with the initiation of legislation process of FCT PHC Bill and FCT Health Insurance Bill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop brought together technocrats from Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, National Health Insurance Scheme, FCT Health and Human Service Secretariat, FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, traditional rulers and development partners.
Pam, who was represented by Dr Mohammed Kawu, Director, Planning Research and Statistics of the secretariat, said that the aim of the workshop is to review the FCT Primary Health Care Bill and Health Insurance Bill in line with national guidelines and FCT peculiarities.
According to her, it will also develop and finalise draft bills which would be ready for submission to the National Assembly for passage into law for effective service delivery.
She appreciated HP+ and USAID for providing traction to the health financing system in FCT.
Pam explained that with legislation, FHSS would enrol more people, adding that the law will give the FHSS legal backing in its operation in order to ensure quality healthcare care service delivery.
“So far, FHSS enrolled about 100,000 persons; the legislation will definitely transform the health of the people of FCT
“Both the FCT PHC Board and the Health Service Scheme have been in existence for almost a decade without appropriate legislative backing, as such FCT has identified the need to finalise legislation of the social insurance scheme and primary healthcare.
“So as to improve its capacity of achieving its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, hence the need for this workshop,” she said.
The scribe charged the participants to produce realistic working documents that would achieves the objective of the workshop.
Mr Onoriode Ezire, the Country Director of HP+, had earlier described the project as a catalyst for development, adding that HP+ has a track record of transforming the financing narrative of healthcare in the states it supports.
Ezire also said that the workshop is an additional building block to HP+ intervention in the FCT.
The Director, Legal Service Secretariat, FCT, Mr Timothy Majuk, expressed optimism that the workshop would achieve a quality bill for effective healthcare service delivery.
Majuk said that most bills legislated in the country lacks quality ingredients and depth.
The director appreciated the inclusion of legal draft in the process of draft initiation and advised other agencies and parastatals to learn from this approach. (NAN)
AKW/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola