The Cross River State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery with the sensitization, engagement, and onboarding of newly approved facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across the state.
The exercise, which took place across the Northern, Central, and Southern Senatorial Districts, was aimed at equipping facility managers and health workers with the operational knowledge required for effective implementation of the BHCPF programme.
The activities began with sensitization and onboarding sessions for newly selected facilities in the Northern Senatorial District, where participants were introduced to the objectives, operational framework, and implementation guidelines of the BHCPF programme. Health workers were trained on effective utilization of funds, financial accountability, service delivery standards, reporting procedures, and strategies for community sensitization to improve the use of health services at the facility level.
In her opening remarks, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, welcomed participants and appreciated stakeholders and development partners for their continued support toward improving primary health care services in the state.
She urged health facilities to intensify efforts in improving the quality of care, service delivery, community sensitization, and mobilization of residents to health facilities in order to boost service uptake.
Dr. Otu also addressed challenges affecting service delivery across some facilities, encouraging those with low performance to strive to meet established standards, while high-performing facilities should maintain and improve their performance. She assured participants that the agency would continue to closely monitor facility performance to ensure improved outcomes across the state.
She further encouraged the newly onboarded facilities to maximize the opportunity provided by the BHCPF programme to strengthen healthcare delivery in their communities and ensure that their facilities remain top-performing.
Similar onboarding sessions were subsequently conducted in the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts, bringing together facility managers, Local Government health authorities, and other stakeholders. The sessions focused on strengthening understanding of BHCPF operational procedures, fund management systems, data reporting requirements, and quality improvement measures needed to ensure efficient and effective primary health care services.
A key aspect of the programme was the BHCPF stakeholders’ engagement meeting, which provided a platform for implementing partners and stakeholders to review programme implementation, assess progress, and discuss challenges affecting service delivery and utilization.
A major highlight of the event was the formal onboarding of the newly approved BHCPF facilities, carried out by Dr. Otu, who officially welcomed them into the programme.
The event was attended by key stakeholders and partners, including representatives from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, CHAMPS, and other development partners working to strengthen primary health care delivery in the state.
