‘Health fund to boost primary healthcare delivery’

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Board, says the newly introduced Basic Health Care Provision Fund by the Federal Government will boost access to primary healthcare.

Dr Ndeayo Iwot, Acting Executive Secretary, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

He explained that the fund, when released, would be channeled directly to the primary health facilities to address challenges of infrastructure, staffing and drugs.

“The Basic Health Provision Fund was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 8. It is one per cent of monies in the consolidated revenue to be accessed by six states and the FCT in the first instance.

‘‘The fund will go a long way to improve and widen citizens’ access to primary health care in the FCT. This is because it would be deployed directly to the health facilities to address infrastructure, staffing and drugs challenges,’’ he said.

Iwot said the FCT had met conditions for accessing the fund, and had mapped out plans on how to use it to improve healthcare for the benefit of residents.

‘‘Part of the conditions for accessing the fund is for the facilities to have an approved plan, which must be executed when the funds are received. We are also required to have the State Health Insurance Scheme in place, as well as N100 million in a dedicated fund.

‘‘All these conditions will determine the quantum of funds to be accessed by each beneficiary and the FCT has met virtually all the conditions,’’ he stressed.

The acting executive secretary said health care systems depended on partnerships, adding that the board recognised the patients as the most important partner in the sector.

‘‘Health care systems depend on partnerships and the greatest partnership is the one with the people that are expected to use the health facilities. We cherish their partnership and that is why we are setting up community structures for primary health care. It is like taking primary health care to the doorsteps of rural dwellers in the FCT.

‘‘That way, they will take charge and manage the primary health care facilities in their communities, with supervision by the board,’’ he said.

He said the FCT Primary Health Care Board would train representatives of communities that would be in charge of the primary health care posts and give first aid treatment for certain minor ailments.

‘‘Minor ailments like injuries from the farms, snake bites, malaria symptoms, among others, would be handled by the health posts before a more qualified health worker intervenes,’’ he said. (NAN)