By Joseph Edegbo :
Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism, (KADMAM), a group of stakeholders in the health sector, has urged the State Government to ensure timely release and cash backing to the sector to help improve healthcare delivery in the state.
The Group made the call at a one-day quarterly interactive forum #OpenKaduna with a theme: “Improving Health care Delivery Through Basic Healthcare Provision Fund Implementation” held in Kaduna, Tuesday.
According to KADMAM, Nigeria currently has some of the worst health outcomes in the world, due to poor state of primary health care services, which are characterized by lack of coverage (especially in the rural areas), inadequate health facilities and high user fees.
In his presentation on tracking of basic healthcare provision funds utilization, first quarter releases for the health sector in the state, Programme Manager, Care link Resource Foundation, and Member of KADMAM, Silas Ideva, said health budget release has remained under 50 per cent for the previous three years, with 40 per cent of the state budget allocated to health released in 2020.
Findings also revealed that for the period under review, 93.8 per cent of most of the PHCS in the state has toilet facilities; while 78.5 per cent of these PHCS are without ambulances.
It also revealed that about 84.6 per cent of the PHCS has availability of drinking water.
On the enrolment categories, women has the highest number with 50.7 per cent, men 26.0 per cent, children 16.5 per cent while the vulnerable people has 6.8 per cent respectively.
Ideva also said that most of the PHCS has proper disposable systems in place; and are in operations at 24/7 services.
The group commended the Kaduna State Government so far, however called for a concerted efforts by the Government to ensure timely release and cash backing to the health sector;
“Kaduna Contributory Health Management Agency should increase community mobilization to enhance enrolment of the non-formal sector into the the Basuc Health Care Provisipn Fund (BHCPF) services.
“The State Oversight Committee should ensure the conduct of statutory meetings under the BHCPF, in order to monitor implementation progress on a regular basis,” KADMAM