FHIS boss urges inclusive community healthcare dev’t

By Stanley Onyekwere

The acting Director of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS), Dr. Salamatu Belgore has called on the Directors of health and officers in charge of primary healthcare facilities to carry community leaders along during their activities.
Belgore made this appeal in Abuja at a consultative meeting with Officers In Charge (OICs) of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) implementing facilities, and directors of Primary Health Care(PHC’s) in the six Area councils of the FCT.
He equally charged all stakeholders to be accountable and transparent especially with the administration of the BHCPFs to enable community members benefit from this laudable programme of the Federal Government.
She also reiterated the support of the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, for ensuring the optimal health and wellbeing of all residents, especially the vulnerable groups in the FCT.
According to her:”The Mandate Secretary is ensuring healthcare at all levels in the FCT are getting the required attention it deserves, so there is no need to prevent the community from enjoying basic healthcare provision.
“I want to say that the support and the collaboration we enjoyed together while I was at the FCT Primary Health Care Board (PHCB) should be extended to me as we go on towards our common goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the FHIS.
“I’m particularly happy for this meeting, especially the fact that we all have worked together at the Primary Healthcare Board, and now coming together under the platform of the FHIS to continue the work we have been doing together makes me even more excited”, she added.
She further explained that the aims and objectives of the engagement is to see how the FHIS can achieve the Universal Health coverage mandate, which is: ‘leaving no one behind’.
On his part, the Director primary Health in Gwagwalada Area council Dr. Adeniran Adeyemi commended the FHIS Director for setting up this Consultative forum and urged her to make it a regular event.
He said: “ I want to thank you (Dr. Belgore) for this initiative, it’s the first of its kind, so please on behalf of all our Directors and OIC, kindly see to it that this will not be a one- off.”
The consultative meeting was attended by all the Directors of primary health and OiCs of the implementing primary health care centers of BHCPF.