BY INUSA NDAHI, MAIDUGURI
The Borno State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BOSPHCDA) under the Leadership of the Executive Director, Dr. Sule Meleh, and the Nigeria State Health Investment Project -Additional Financing (NSHIP-AF), a World Bank assisted Project has commenced a Weeklong Training on Performance Based Financing (PBF) for Health Workers and Ward Development Committee Chairmen (WDCs) from 11 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Resettlement Camps in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area.
Recalled that most of the Humanitarian Agencies like UNICEF which supports existing clinics at the IDPs camps have partially withdrew their services with disengagement of its medical staff working in the camps, hence, he commended the Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum for his strong commitment towards Healthier Results For All, and the World Bank for given approval to contract and immediately commence implementation of PBF in IDPs Camps in order to strengthen quality of health services.
Declaring the Workshop opened on Monday at the Dujima International Hotels in Maiduguri the state capital, Dr. Meleh said, since the project was introduced precisely in June 2017, with pilot LGAs of MMC and Jere, the NSHIP-AF has scaled up its interventions using PBF to 15 accessible LGAs with about 176 contracted public and privately own Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 14 General Hospitals (GHs) across the state.
Dr. Meleh who was represented by the Project Coordinator, Hajiya Habiba Saidu pointed out that Clinics in Dalori, Bakassi, Customs House, NYSC, Teachers Village, Gubio Road and Stadium IDPs Camps would benefit from the exercise.
Other IDPs camps to be contracted and participating in this Training includes; Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN Centre) in Jerusalem general area of the metropolis, Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies (MOGOCLIS) and Farm Centre which hosted millions of traumatized IDPs and are in dare need of health care services.
She said, immediately after the training, an investment credit/seed fund will be disbursed to each Facilities Based on their Business Plan Development, Review and approval by the state.
Habiba said the essence of the training was in line with World Bank/Nigerian Government policies towards implementing NSHIP-AF and Performance Based Financing (PBF) to ensure community ownership, judicious and transparent use of Investment Credits and Subsidies which are disbursed quarterly to contracted Health Facilities (HFs) improve and strengthen quality and quantity of healthcare services, particularly on each Health Indicators/Domain in the state.
While congratulating the participants, the Project Coordinator enjoined them to make good use of the opportunity to be derived from the training by the Facilitators to ensure smooth NSHIP/PBF take- off in their respective camps