By: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
Consistent with the present administration’s mantra of judicious use of public fund, the State Ministry of Health has constituted a Taskforce to scrutinise health insurance utilisation across public health facilities in the state.
Inaugurating the Taskforce, recently in his office in Calabar, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, stated that the misappropriation of capitation from both federal and state health insurance gateways had necessitated the formation of an independent team to examine the spendings of public health facilities in the State ranging from primary, secondary and tertiary facilities benefiting from such funds.
He hinted that he was exercising his role as the chairman of the State Oversight Committee of the insurance agency in the State, a position that empowers the State Oversight Committee to ensure adequate management of health insurance resources among others
While urging the 8-member team to contribute its quota in assisting the State to sanitise the health sector and entrench prudence in public financial management, Dr. Ayuk listed the following terms of reference to guide the operations of the Taskforce, which include: to determine the total capitation and/or fee for services received so far from the federal and state health insurance gateways; determine the level of utilisation by beneficiaries in the various facilities; determine factors responsible for any underperformance where necessary.
Other terms of reference outlined included: to determine the level of conformity of programmes with the scheme’s regulatory guidelines as per the two gateways; identify the means and ways of jump-starting the health insurance service implementation, including commencement of the informal sector; identify any other existing barriers or practices adversely affecting public finance management; and in line with the above mentioned, recommend a structure for effective and efficient implementation of the two gateways of health insurance in the State.
He expressed trust in the pedigree of the carefully chosen members of the Taskforce, which cut across civil society, private sector, medical field, academia, health financing stakeholders and financial experts, the Commissioner hoped that in a month or so, the team should be able to submit its report to the Ministry, unraveling anomalies bedeviling financial management in the public health sector and possible ways of implementing a workable system.
In his remarks, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Iwara Iwara, described the development as a landmark in the history of health sector management in Cross River State.
Dr. Iwara pointed out that overtime the health sector had hitherto lagged behind in terms of efficient management, sourcing for root causes of failure and possible solutions, as well as living up to the billing with the day’s government’s policy thrust in the sector.
He thanked the Commissioner for thinking out of the box for ways to improve the sector in line with the ‘People First’ administration of Governor Bassey Otu.
In acceptance speech on behalf of the inaugurated team, the Chairman of the Taskforce, Hon Dr. Bassey Ibor, thanked Dr. Ayuk for finding them worthy of carrying out the onerous task before them, and promised to pursue its objectives with vigour and diligence for the betterment of public health facilities, the health sector and State at large.
The 8-member Taskforce is led by Dr. Bassey Ibor, with the Ministry’s Director of Administration, Mr. Agba Williams serving as secretary of the team.
Other members include: Dr. David Ushie, a consultant with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and former Special Adviser on Health, Comrade Ben Ukpepi, Chairman of Medical Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr. Princewill Ofuka, Lovelyn Eteng, Mrs Maria Offiong and Mr. Ifere Obeten.
