Date: 2020-09-26

The Kwara Government on Saturday began a six-day training on implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) for 44 key health providers and partners in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking at the sidelines of the training, Dr Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, explained that the programme is tagged: " training of trainers on implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund."

Elelu restated the commitment of the state to strengthening primary health care services under the leadership of Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

According to her, the government would enroll at least one functional PHC in each ward in the state.

"This BHCPF capacity building is a very important step for the training of trainers.

"It is expected that this activity will equip our participants with the required skills and knowledge that is needed to step down this training to our health facilities in the state," she said

The Executive Secretary of the Agency said that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund will improve the health care services for the poor in Kwara.

She reiterated the resolve of the government's commitment to providing functional primary healthcare centre in all the 193 wards in the state.

Also speaking, Dr Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, the Executive Secretary, Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, observed that after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was obvious to us as a nation that we need infrastructural development in the health sector and health accessibility to healthcare services.

"One of these is what the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund programme has come to fill the gap for our people.

"We, therefore, must build the capacity of workers and strengthen our infrastructure, that is why our amiable Governor is taking ownership of the programme.

"We have realised that with at least 30 per cent of Kwara people living in financial limitation and lack access to health, this programme would bridge some of these gaps for us," she said.

Dr Saad Aluko, the Director-General Hospital Management Board, said that the government aimed at improving healthcare delivery services across the state, and has keyed into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

Aluko urged participants to inculcate what they learned and put them into practice, so as to revamp the PHC in the state.

Dr Michael Oguntoye, the Director of primary healthcare services, explained that the training is an innovation to improve healthcare and significantly impact life towards actualising universal Health coverage in Kwara.

He, therefore, urged the participants to make judicious use of the opportunity.

NAN