By Aliyu Galadima In Maiduguri
Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency ,BOSCHMA, has enrolled 97,000 beneficiaries under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund ,BHCPF, and disbursed over N1.2 billion to primary healthcare facilities in the past three years.
Executive Secretary Dr. Abbah Saleh-Kaza announced these achievements during the 2024 Performance Review exercise yesterday in Maiduguri.
Saleh-Kaza emphasized the agency accorded priority to family health services, noting that expectant mothers and children constituted more than 50% of the enrollees.
“Since its inception, BOSCHMA has enrolled 22,000 pregnant women and 14,000 children into the scheme.
“Reducing maternal mortality is a priority for us, and we continue to focus on providing quality healthcare to mothers and children in the state”, he said.
According to Saleh-Kaza, the N1.2 billion capitation payment is making a significant impact on the BHCPF in improving primary healthcare facilities for effective service delivery.
“In 2024 alone, the state government allocated N699 million for capitation to primary healthcare centers. Since the inception of the BHCPF, we have consistently paid capitation on time, even in the absence of federal government funds.
“In January and February 2024, we were able to pay the first-quarter capitation despite delays in federal releases.
“In addition, BOSCHMA disbursed over N40 million in fee-for-service payments to 172 secondary healthcare facilities in 2024, a significant increase from N20.5 million in 2023 and N600,000 in 2022″, he said.
Saleh-Kaza said the initiative has significantly improved the quality of healthcare service delivery by facilitating referrals between primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
“With the introduction of an electronic referral system, we have seen a notable improvement in the efficiency of our healthcare services.
“We have a N300 million reserve for referrals this year, and we are committed to utilizing at least 50% of the funds to enhance healthcare delivery”, he said.
Saleh-Kaza stated that about 15,000 of the enrollees received treatment for malaria, hypertension, diabetes, dental, and ophthalmological issues. However, the rising prevalence of mental health cases led to a partnership between the agency and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri.
“One of the challenges we face is the increasing number of mental health cases, and we are working to establish a Memorandum of Understanding ,MoU, with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care”, he said.
Identifying poverty as the major barrier preventing many people from accessing quality healthcare, Saleh-Kaza emphasized, “Our state remains one of the most impoverished in Nigeria, and we must do more to ensure that everyone, especially the poor and vulnerable, has access to quality healthcare. This is not just a healthcare issue; it is a humanitarian one”.
While calling for more funds, he added that the agency plans to expand the scope of its services to better serve the vulnerable population.
“Although we have made significant progress, we still have a long way to go in terms of coverage. Our aim is to increase the number of enrollees and ensure that we meet the healthcare needs of all residents”.
He also lauded Governor Babagana Zulum for his support, which has enabled the agency to provide quality healthcare services to the people.
