HEALTH SERVICES DEVELOPMENT PLAN by Ifedi Okwenna

Health according to the United Nations is a fundamental human Right of people and communities. But this is not yet the case in most parts of the Sub-Saharan Africa.

As Governor, I shall pursue ultimately, the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Anambra State. All people and communities in Anambra can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.

1. Principles of our Health Plan
   The underlying principles of our Health Plan shall be:

a. Equity in access to health services – everyone who needs services should get irrespective of location and ability to pay;
b. The quality of health services should be good enough to improve the health of those receiving services; and
c. People should be protected against financial-risk, ensuring that the cost of using services does not put people at risk of financial harm.

Our plans shall therefore be as follows:

2. INFRASTRUCTURE:

a. Primary Health Care
Primary Healthcare shall be the cornerstone of Anambra health care delivery. Though a responsibility of Local Government, my government shall partner with Local Governments to:
i. Rehabilitate and equip all Primary Health Care Centres in the State.
ii. Establish new ones especially in communities where none exists.
iii. Ensure that drugs and consumables are available regularly.
iv. Ensure Improved Medical Information system network

b. Secondary Health Care:

i. All General Hospitals in the State shall be rehabilitated and reequipped to acceptable standard.
ii. New General Hospitals shall be built in Local Government Areas and development zones where none currently exists.
iii. All General hospitals shall be serviced with water, electricity, good access roads within the healthcare environment.
iv. There will be digital automation and networking of all the General hospitals in the State to make for easy tracking of the medical history of every citizen of the State among others.

c. Tertiary Health Care.

Functional Public Tertiary Health Institutions are very essential if we can revise Medical Tourism into Anambra State. Throughout Nigeria, Ndi Anambra are the leaders in medical tourism especially to India, United Kingdom and United States. My government shall advance healthcare delivery to restore the trust of Ndi Anambra in the facilities at home. We shall focus on:

i. Upscaling of Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Awka.
This wonderful facility owned by the state shall be upgraded to a first-class teaching hospital in Nigeria in terms of equipment, infrastructure and personnel. It shall be a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery in the country.

ii. Establishment of Specialist Hospitals.
My Government shall in addition to the State Teaching Hospital in Awka (Anambra Central), establish two new Specialist Hospitals in Anambra South and Anambra North senatorial zones to promote tertiary healthcare delivery.

iii. Anambra State Medical Diagnostic Centre and Reference Laboratory.
The proposed Anambra State Medical Diagnostic Centre and Reference Laboratory shall contain a state-of-the-art equipment to deliver diagnostic services of world -class standards for both adults and children and as a reference laboratory for scientific viral testing and research. It shall contain training and continuous education facilities for the upscaling of Laboratory/Allied Health professionals in the state and beyond.

e. Private Healthcare

i. Support for Private Health Care Industry:

In my determination to incentivize Medical Tourism into Anambra State, my Government shall partner and support existing and new private healthcare industries in the state to upgrade and/or build new facilities and secure the best of medical equipment and personnel that will make Anambra State the most popular destination for medical tourism in Africa. This is expected to create a positive impact in the economy of the State.
ii. Partnership with our Diaspora Community
Anambra State has one of the most vibrant Diaspora communities. Indigenes of this state are among the best hands in medicine and health sciences in Europe and America. My Government shall synergize and support these Anambra Diasporans to invest in healthcare in Anambra State to promote medical Tourism

3. Emergency Health Scheme:
   We shall set up an Emergency Health Scheme to provide accessible health care services to whomever needs it at every hour of the day. This scheme shall be established in each local government, providing:
   a. Well-equipped ambulance services.
   b. Each functional Ambulance to be attached with a Medical Doctor, a Nurse and a driver.
   These Medics in the scheme shall provide healthcare services day and night in all parts of the state. The ambulances shall be automated and on receipt of a panic call, the nearest team to the source of call shall rush to the location to provide emergency healthcare services. Where the need arises, they shall convey the patient to a nearby secondary or tertiary hospital for full medical treatment.
4. HealthCare Financing Plan (HFP):
   We will develop a well-funded healthcare plan that will make money available for funding our Healthcare programmes (HPs). The aim of this is:
   a. To help us achieve the best outcomes in terms of both the allocation of resources and their efficient use based on the need for equitable access to health services.
   b. To stem the very high level of private, out-of-pocket (OOP) household spending that currently forms more than three quarters of all health expenditure in Anambra State.
   c. The low level of salaries and provide incentives for staff working in the public health sector, preventing effective delivery of health services.
   d. The low level of public funding reaching the service delivery level with significant impact on service delivery.
   e. To provide access to health services for the poor and vulnerable in our society.
   f. To achieve our long-term aim of attaining universal health coverage (UHC) of the population with funded pre-payment mechanism. The financing plan shall be centered mainly on:
   a. Government Health Services Budget
   b. Support from Donor Agencies and other Health Partners
   c. From Donor funded pools, such as:
   i. Health Sector support Project,
   ii. User fee at public facilities,
   iii. Fee exemption for the poor,
   iv. Contracting of public service delivery,
   v. Health equity funding (HEF),
   vi. Community-based Health Insurance (CBHI) and
   vii. Social Health Insurance schemes (SHI).
5. Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme.
   This is part of our Healthcare Financing Plan (HFP), and is initiated boast Healthcare Funding. Anambra State CBHI shall be launched by my government at the State level and in all Local Government and Communities in the State. Citizens of the State shall be mobilized to donate to it. The state Government shall equally donate the amount equivalent to what is raised by the citizens.

The total amount shall be known as Community-based Health Insurance Fund (CBHIF) and shall be independently managed by a board of eminent Anambrar citizens. It shall be mandatory for every Anambra person up to 18years to take this health Insurance cover unless such a person has an existing Social Health Insurance Scheme. There will be three types of CBHI covers and each citizen shall be at liberty to take one. Hospitals in Anambra State will be accredited to subscribe to this and it shall form the basis for treatment and payment for Health care services in the State. This is to discourage Out-of-pocket (OOP) household spending on Healthcare.

6. Compulsory Health Insurance for Anambra Citizens.
   Every family/person in Anambra State shall have a health Insurance cover. The Health Insurance cover may be the state-owned Community-Based Health Insurance or any Social Health Insurance Scheme. This is to ensure that every citizen of the State has access to a hospital of his choice whether public or private hospital, within the state without fund inhibition.

To achieve this, Government and community associations shall work out strategies to ensure hundred percent policy cover and where possible to subsidize the acquisition of this Insurance cover by every citizen of the State. Indeed, basic government patronage may be denied any citizen who fails to take a Health Insurance cover.

Join us, let’s go to work.
It’s possible.

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