…..Bauchi beneficiaries of healthcare fund acknowledge impact
A cross section of beneficiaries of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) which is targeted toward Universal Health Coverage in Bauchi State have acknowledged the impact of the fund toward access to care.
The beneficiaries also said that the fund has greatly helped in reducing out-of-pocket health expenditure.
The BHCPF was established under Section 11 of the National Health Act as a catalytic funding to improve access to primary health care, and to fund Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS), increase fiscal space for health, among others.
To be derived from an annual Federal Government grant of not less than one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), grants by international donor partners, from any other source, including the private sector, the BHCPF is implemented by three gateways.
The gateways are the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) which will provide the operational cost, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which is the gateway to insure vulnerable Nigerians to access the BMPHS, and the National Emergency Medical Treatment (NEMT) gateway, expected to cater for emergency ambulance services.
The NPHCDA is responsible for the implementation of the NPHCDA Gateway through the State Primary Health Care Boards/Agencies (SPHCB/A) which are responsible for direct implementation in the states.
The BHCPF is, therefore, being implemented by the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency across the 20 local governments and in 326 primary health facilities and 26 general hospitals.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Alkasim Yakubu, a 32-year-old sickle cell patient, said that the programme has addressed out of pocket expenditure.
He said “the free treatment reduced debt on family members and add up to missing meals in the house. The programme has greatly assisted patients to access health services that include drugs, blood transfusion and admission.
“As a sickle cell patient, services at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital this year relieved me from spending thousands each time I experience crisis.”
Saleh Ladan, an adolescent living with HIV/AIDS who accesses complementary care through the programme, said that in spite of free Anti-retroviral drugs, other ailments cause the family a huge amount for his treatment and diet.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Hajara Mohammad, said the programme has addressed out of pocket spending for the period of two years and appealed to government at all levels to scale up services.
She said health has become expensive, making access very difficult for some poor households.
Nafisa Ibrahim, the officer in charge of Isa Yuguda Health Centre said that the facility has 240 enrollees that access free services.
She added that the services include; Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn Child Adolescent Health, Routine Immunisation, child birth spacing, antenatal care services and deliveries, among others.
Ibrahim said that the enrollees are under five children, aged persons, women of reproductive age and people with disabilities.
She said that bi-monthly capitation was paid to health facilities before services were rendered.
On challenges, Ibrahim said that funds were usually expended before month ends due to influx of beneficiaries and suggested that facilities be expanded to accommodate more clients.
In his contribution, Dr Mansur Dada, the Executive Secretary, BASHCMA has 82,412 enrollees under the BHCPF.
He said “the agency pays capitation of N44,988,000 monthly across the participating primary healthcare centres, which amount to N14,666,088.
“326 health facilities are offering services, while secondary health facilities serve as referral centres. Each of the facilities gets N138,000 as monthly capitation.”
Dada added that the enrolment of the public sector has been completed, adding that civil servants were yet to commence accessing due to non-remittance of funds by government.
