FG Spends N17bn on SOML, Moves to Develop NSHDP II

Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
As part of efforts to implement its all encompassing health strategy, the federal government has committed over $55.5 million (N17 billion) for the implementation of the Saving One Million Lives Initiative programme for Result (SOML-PforR) which has already commenced.

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, made this known yesterday in his keynote address at the formal opening ceremony of the 59th National Council on Health meeting, saying that the fund was released to the 36 states and Abuja with each of them receiving $1.5 (N457.5 million) for the programme.

According to him, the money served as initial “pump to drive the delivery of the SOML indicators and enable states address legacy issues”, adding that the federal ministry of health has already built the capacity of states programme officers on the management of the programme.
However the minister noted that though the SOML funds had been released states were still facing difficulties in accessing it. He assured that the bottlenecks were being resolved as the “PMB administration will ensure probity, accountability and prudence in the use of the funds given to states”.

To this end, the minister said that the federal ministry of finance has finalized arrangement to engage an independent verification agent for the programme thereby facilitating disbursement of more funds to the states, “especially with the completion of health facility and multiple indicator cluster surveys”.

On the second National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP II) Prof Odewole said that a technical working group (TWG) which he inaugurated was already driving the process.
“The TWG is in the process of developing the NSHDP II framework as well as guidelines to be used by both the federal and states to develop their specific plans,” he said, adding that the specific plans would eventually be harmonised and costed from which the annual health budgets would be derived.

The health minister declared that Nigeria would be “completely” declared polio free in 2017 as Mr. President has given the FMH “all the necessary support and encouragement to combat this challenge by directing that all our 2016 budgetary allocation of N9.8 billion for polio eradication effort be urgently be released”.

Abia state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who declared the NCH meeting open, said that is administration was focusing the development of the secondary health institutions in order to strengthen the primary healthcare delivery across the state.

He said that Abia has over 800 primary health centres which have been attached to secondary health institutions that serve as supervisors to give patients confidence in assessing healthcare services at eh primary health level.

The Abia chief executive further stated that his administration has adopted e-medicine in the delivery of healthcare services, explaining that it has now become possible for patients at the primary health centres to interact with consultants at the secondary health institutions.
He also said that Abia has enhanced its operation in the area of emergency response services hence it now takes between 30 and 60 minutes for the emergency team to respond to emergency calls depending on the part of the state from where it emanated.