Gombe releases N605m to scale up state health project

In order to improve the Primary Health Care Service Delivery, Gombe state governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, has approved the release of N605  to the Nigeria State Health Investment Project (NSHIP) to revitalise one fully functional primary  health care facility in each of  the 114 wards. 

This was contained in a press statement by the senior special assistant to the governor on media and publicity, Mr.  Samaila Uba Misilli and made available to journalists in Gombe Tuesday. He said the funds was release through the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency to enable it scale up its intervention of ensuring at least one fully functional primary  health care facility in the five  local government areas  of Kaltungo, Nafada, Shongom, Funakaye and Kwami.

“It may be recalled that NSHIP in collaboration with Gombe state government successfully revitalised 85 PHCs in the other 6 LGAs of Akko,  Balanga,  Gombe,  Billiri,  Dukku and Yamaltu Deba through the Performance Based Financing (PBF) approach.

“The focus of the intervention includes: renovation of the infrastructure, provision of basic equipment and drugs, enhanced health worker motivation through the payment of performance bonuses to the staff and strengthening institutional management at both health facilities and the Local Government Health Authorities.

“This intervention will ensure that every ward has at least one fully functional primary healthcare centre with all the necessary basic tools to provide the basic minimum package of care to the people 24- hours a day. 

“The revitalisation process is expected to be completed by end of June 2020. When completed, it will make Gombe to be the first in the country to successfully revitalise 1 PHC in every ward of its state in line with Mr president’s desire.

“Approval of this counterpart funding for NSHIP is an unprecedented move, where a state is using domestic resources to fund a Performance Based Financing (PBF) programme.

He said that the governor had earlier during a meeting  with a World Bank delegation jointly led by task team leaders, Mr. Gyuri Fritche and Fatima Abubakar Mustapha, pushed for the scaling up of the  project to the remaining 5 LGA’s so that the entire populace will enjoy the benefit therein, following which the two parties agreed to escalade it on a 40%/ 60% basis with Gombe providing N605 million while the World Bank  provides the balance of 1.5m dollars from the International Development Association,  IDA resources for the NSHIP project allocated to the state.