Following the approval given by the Bauchi state Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir on the implementation of the state health contributory scheme, the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) has said that it has commenced the implementation of the formal sector of the programme.
As a starting point, all the 31 Legislators in the state, political office holders as well as senior civil servants are to contribute 5 per cent of their salaries to the scheme while other civil servants from both the state and local government councils would contribute only 2 per cent.
The executive secretary of BASHCMA, Dr Mansur Dada stated this during a one-day training of Journalists on the State Health Contributory Scheme, organized by BASHCMA in collaboration with a USAID Integrated Health Program (IHP) and a Civil Society Organization (CSO), Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD).
According to the Executive Secretary, BASHCMA is the state social health insurance agency running the federal government’s Basic Minimum package of healthcare services of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).
He added that the state has already implemented the vulnerable programme where 53,800 beneficiaries are currently accessing healthcare services at the 323 primary healthcare facilities and 26 general hospitals across the state.
Dada also said that the objective of the health agency includes the continuous improvement of quality healthcare services, providing easy financial access to healthcare services, reduce out of pocket spending, improving the socio-economic status of the citizens and improving private health sector participation.
According to him, “The informal sector programme targets those that are neither vulnerable nor working in an organized setting and it accounts for more than 75 per cent of the population, It can be individual or family plan.”
He added that “Individual plan is N12,000 while the family plan is N10,000 per year, that is 7 members of a family, any addition to the 7 members will cost N11,000.”
The BASHCMA ES also stated that some of the challenges of the social health insurance programme in the state include low turnout of registered clients at the PHCs, lack of judicious utilization of disbursed funds by health facilities, quality gaps, especially of Human Resources for health and untimely submission of data for onward submission.
In his presentation on Financial Risk Protection and Its implication for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a Health Financial Advisor, Pharmacist with USAID – IHP, Pharmacist Khalid Kasimu stated that the media is largely responsible for deciding what issues society discusses in the public sphere as well as issues are on the public agenda, which is the to-do list of issues the public agrees are a priority.
He noted that the media can help inform and educate the general population on the importance of healthcare reforms, and advocate for increased awareness of reforms through continuous and constant sensitization for policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society groups at the grassroots level.
According to him, ” The media can promote an improved understanding of the Social Health Insurance Service(SHIS). Today media has become a part of everyone’s life. Media plays a major role in today’s society, now media has become food to strengthen or weaken society.”
Khalid Kasimu stressed that “Therefore, the media can Increase the need and enrollment number for SHIS . The media’s role in setting political agenda and shaping public issues and opinions cannot be overemphasized as they play a very important and curial role in holding the government accountable”.
In her remarks, the Coordinator of J4PD, Ms Elizabeth Nange Kah stressed that “For quite a while now Bauchi State has been consistent in allocating 15 per cent in line with Abuja declaration and it is quite commendable.”
She further said that “But our concern as CSO is that at the end of the year, the health budget performance leaves much to be desired and this is due to inadequate releases of funds appropriated.
“We want to passionately appeal to the Bauchi State Government to improve on budget releases to enable relevant MDAs to carry out programs and activities designed to strengthen its health care systems.
“The recent political will demonstrated by the Bauchi state Government by keying into the health insurance drive is also commendable”.
“This singular act will no doubt pave the way towards achieving universal health coverage that is being championed globally,” She added.
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