The Ag. State Coordinator National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA), Edo State, Mr. Ehannire Theodore Osas and his team, led members of the gateway/stakeholders on a critical engagement session at the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) gateway forum, which includes the Edo State Social Health Insurance Agency (EDHIC), the Edo State Primary Health Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Edo State, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Edo State Branch.
The engagement session was held in the conference room of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS). Representing the DG EDOHIS, Dr. Rock Amegor, was the DPRS, Dr. Owen Omorogbe.
Issues during the engagement discussion centered on how to improve access to healthcare, especially the vulnerable groups (children under the age of 5 years, pregnant women, the physically challenged, the aged, and the poorest of the poor) in society. In order to achieve this, some thematic areas were deliberated on and the necessary action points were noted.
The first on the list was knowledge reinforcement on BHCPF Protocol and Implementation at the facility level. This is to bridge the knowledge gap noticed at the facilities across the state and this exercise will be held in the 3 senatorial districts of the state; Edo South, Edo Central, and Edo North respectively.
Identified problematic areas include but are not limited to: Proper referral protocol, Accounting, and financial documentation/record keeping at the facility level, and Cascading/dissemination of information to/among the staff of the facility.
Although manpower has been a challenge in some of the primary healthcare facilities, this is taking a new turn with the recent recruitment and deployment exercise by Edo State Government.
Of importance is a planned medical outreach in communities with low healthcare service utilization. This will help increase the awareness of BHCPF, and free quality healthcare to such grass-root settlements, and improve their healthcare-seeking behavior and health indices.
In line with the Edo State Government’s agenda to increase access to quality healthcare by all, the gateway/stakeholders are currently having primary healthcare facility mapping in order to upscale and bring on board more facilities to offer healthcare services, especially in communities with high populations and that are underserved.
There is a proposed data validation program to ensure that the vulnerable registered on the scheme are utilizing available health services.
