Federal Government gives nod to N32 billion allocation for primary healthcare facilities across the country

The Federal Government has given the green light for the disbursement of N32 billion to health facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, a decision that was made following deliberations at the Ministerial Oversight Committee meeting.

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This development is the outcome of a quarterly meeting that assesses progress in the health sector, particularly under President Bola Tinubu’s health sector renewal investment initiative, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.

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Pate highlighted that the committee scrutinized performance in primary health care, including utilisation, mortality indicators, and immunisation coverage, and observed that funds disbursed through the BHCPF were indeed reaching facilities.

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He noted that the resources being disbursed by the Federal Government through the BHCPF are getting to the facilities, and the committee has approved the disbursement of N32 billion to these facilities, as stated by Pate.

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The minister also revealed that the reform guidelines approved last year are being implemented, and the number of facilities benefiting from direct funding will soon increase, with plans to add 5,000 more facilities to receive direct facility financing.

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The committee also reviewed tariffs for emergency ambulance services and agreed to increase the rates to encourage both public and private providers to respond more effectively, as explained by Pate.

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According to Pate, the reimbursement for complications of obstetric deliveries is doing well, with more than 40,000 women having had emergency services reimbursed, making it affordable for them and their families.

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Pate stated that President Tinubu’s decision to make treatment for emergency obstetric complications free is already saving lives, as acknowledged widely, and the vision of the president is having a positive impact on the lives of women.

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The free fistula treatment programme has reached more than 4,000 women, with Pate saying that the programme is reclaiming the lives of these women.

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Nigeria continues to record multiple disease outbreaks every year, but most are contained early through surveillance and rapid response led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as disclosed by Pate.

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Pate noted that more than 200 outbreak episodes were recorded in the last one year, but most people do not hear about them because they are stopped very early, and he urged state governments to respond faster to outbreaks and protect health workers.

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Additionally, Pate announced that more than 102 million children were reached during the integrated measles and rubella campaign conducted last year, which is an unprecedented scale for such a campaign in Nigeria.

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Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of public health funds, as highlighted during the meeting.

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Salako explained that the government is promoting transparency, stewardship, and accountability, with the involvement of civil society organisations, which can help track and monitor the use of funds at the facility level.

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Responding to concerns about the safety of health workers during outbreaks, Salako said the government will continue to strengthen training and protective measures for health workers, as some of these diseases are highly infectious.

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The Basic Health Care Provision Fund is a Nigerian government initiative aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by providing a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services to all citizens, established under Section 11 of the National Health Act (2014).

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The BHCPF is funded through a combination of government allocations, international donor grants, and private sector contributions, with a minimum of 1% of the federal government’s consolidated revenue allocated annually.

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The fund is managed through three gateways: the National Health Insurance Scheme for BMPHS, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for strengthening primary healthcare, and the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee for emergency medical treatment.