By Joseph Edegbo
The Kaduna State Government is considering the Public Private Partnership, PPP in the State healthcare delivery system.
To this end, a meeting of stakeholders drawn from health agencies under the State Ministry of Health, the private sector, Civil Society Organizations and the Media has been held to create awareness towards the policy formulation on the Partnership.
Tagged “Strengthened Private Sector Contribution to Universal Health Coverage Through an Effective Public- Private Sector Framework, the meeting was jointly put together by the Ministry Of Health, UKaid and Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, PERL.
Key objectives of the meeting, according to the State Team Leader of PERL, Mr. Abel Adejor, are to improve buy-in and ownership as well as promote awareness of PPP system and processes in the State health sector.
It is also to strengthen the health sector’s ability to effectively develop and implement PPP arrangements in the State health space.
In a presentation, a Consultant and Certified Specialist on PPP, Chukwuma Katchy said most people misunderstood the concept of the PPP, which allows the private sector to partner Government in providing services effectively devoid of bureaucracy.
He enumerated other enormous advantages under the system such as alternative source of financing, untimely completion and sustainability of projects.
According to the Specialist, there were a lot of money in the private sector to be utilized, saying that population increase and liquidity have placed heavy burden on government.
Chukwuma Katchy cited the well equipped Garki Hospital in the nation’s capital, Abuja, being run effectively under PPP, dwarfing its counterpart in the same capital city not covered by the system.
While the participants acknowledged that PPP enhances efficiency, equipping of facilities, bringing sources from both sides, a conducive monitoring environment should however be evolved to check exploitation of health seekers.
It was also suggested that the country’s Consumer Protection Law be incorporated in the policy to protect the people.
Giving an overview of the State’s health sector, Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Joseph Sunday said the State recorded success story in most areas of the health care services.
The sector, he said, had improved in budgetary provision, but the cash backing remains a challenge.
On Human Resource, Dr. Sunday said of the 2,432 doctors in the public service only 10% is pensionable, while the proportion of doctors to the population is very low.
The Director expressed worry over attrition in the health sector due to unattractive remuneration pointing out that Kaduna State produces a lot of human resources, but lose them to other States.