PRESS RELEASE FG DISBURSES OVER TWELVE BILLION NAIRA TO GATE WAYS THROUGH BHCPF: ICPC TO TRACK FUNDS SAYS COORDINATING MINISTER OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE.

PRESS RELEASE   FG DISBURSES OVER TWELVE BILLION NAIRA TO GATE WAYS THROUGH BHCPF:   ICPC TO TRACK FUNDS SAYS COORDINATING MINISTER OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE.

PRESS RELEASE FG DISBURSES OVER TWELVE BILLION NAIRA TO GATE WAYS THROUGH BHCPF: ICPC TO TRACK FUNDS SAYS COORDINATING MINISTER OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE.

The Hon. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, reassured government's commitment towards judicious utilization of public funds, saying that the disbursed funds would be tracked by ICPC.

Professor Pate made this remark at the 7th Basic Health Care Provision Fund Ministerial Overnight Committee Meeting.(MOC) held in Abuja, for the second quarter of the year 2024.

The Minister emphasized that transparency and accountability must be ensured in the utilization of the funds, adding that the report of the programmatic outcomes must be seen and disbursement formula will be designed by the BHCPF after the harmonization of the revived 2020 guidelines.

In separate presentations of updates by the various Gateways, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency(NPHCDA) announced that it has engaged with National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) & the States, explaining that the Agency has distributed the sum of over eleven billion naira received for the last quarter, and so far Seventeen states have retired  the allocated funds ,while only two states are yet to submit their retirement

The agency has carried out baseline assessment for States and FCT in 151 INEC wards and 8411 facilities BHCPF Primary Health Care are at level two functionality.


It has also designed Primary Health and revitalization Implementation Plan,  in which 20,000 facilities will be assessed for phase two in August 2024, to expand the number of the Primary Health Care centers.

The National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System Gateway (NEMSAS) presented that it's presence is in eleven states out of which only in two states namely FCT and Bayelsa are not functioning, adding that it has also embarked on public awareness education.

According to the presentation, the Gateway is planning to implement Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transport (RESMAT) scheme, Facility Communication Network as well as developing payment mechanism, saying that it is going to partner with POS operators, Opay and others for encouraging e-payment.

While advocating for additional support from the MOC, the Gateway prayed for approval of its reforms to be included in the revised BHCPF guidelines.

In its presentation, the National Center for Diseases Control(NCDC)  said it has received 13Billion Naira for 2021 and 2022 and has the balance of 29Million Naira, adding that it is also committed to encourage states to develop development plan and will continue to support them.

NCDC explained that it has disbursed 80% of 95% of programmatic funds on the basis of 25% equality to all states, 25% on population size of states and 50% prevalency of outbreaks, stressing that its main goal is to expand and strengthen the effective response of  public health and include health security partners.

The National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) said that it has received Eleven million,Nine hundred thousand naira for disbursement and enrolled additional 400 facilities into the program.

It further explained that it has changed the nomenclature of some of its packages at primary care level., adding that it has undergone benefits package review, guidelines and financial operation within the last MOC meeting.

Also within the last three months, the Gateway aligned on certain issues with relevant stakeholders, beneficiaries, benefit packages, states counterpart funds, and service provision to public and private facilities.

The Gateway stated that it is working on accreditation of facilities, quality/assurance assessment , performance, funds retirement and training of the program finance officers.


The MOC Secretariat Gateway presented that its role is  to oversight performance, announcing that it has disbursed 25.8Billion Naira for the first quarter at the 6th MOC meeting and developed states budget plans and tracking with other Gateways.

The Secretariat also hosted sub-committee meeting and undergone monitoring and spot-check visits to 12 states and presented full reports on 11states and discrepancies were observed in some states as well as positive and negative outcomes.

It further pointed out that it is committed towards preparing for 2023 National and Sub-national financial audit and 2020 guidelines review.

Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) on its part, announced that 24 out of the 36 states and FCT have signed with the compact, stating that SWAP has proposed $668 Million for the program, drew 6 development partners, 11 disbursement linked indicators and created 7 Technical Working Group.

Commenting on the various presentations, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum mni, encouraged collective working together towards  achieving goals, asking for paramedic training and prudent spending of the operational fund.

A joint memo on the review of the 2020 Guidelines was presented by the National Emergency Medical Technical Committee (NEMTC) and NCDC, also MOC  presented  a memo on decision for disbursement of funds, while members of the MOC deliberated and made necessary amendment on the reviewed guidelines.

Presenting the memo on decision for disbursement of funds, Director, BHCPF and Secretary, MOC, Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Yawale, mni, said that MOC has disbursed 50%of the funds for first quarter and the remaining 50% is for 3rd and 4th quarter 2023 and will be disbursed based on the reviewed guidelines.

 

Patricia Deworitshe

Director (Information and Public Relations)

28th June, 2024