BOSCHMA Provides Healthcare to Nearly 5,000 Civil Servants in Three Months

By Ali Mohammed Zanna, Maiduguri

The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has provided healthcare services to nearly 5,000 civil servants within three months under its formal-sector contributory health insurance scheme.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Saleh Abba Kaza, attributed the achievement to the deployment of electronic health records, improved power supply at major clinics, financial support for healthcare facilities and measures to prevent shortages of essential medicines.

Dr Kaza disclosed this during an interview, explaining that the agency adopted the measures to improve access to quality healthcare and address challenges affecting service delivery across participating facilities.

He said BOSCHMA provided financial support to selected clinics after conducting needs assessments to identify gaps in infrastructure and service delivery.

According to him, the facilities used the funds to upgrade their operations, while the introduction of electronic health records helped improve patient management and healthcare services.

He said the clinics serving more than 90 per cent of the scheme’s enrollees were prioritised to ensure uninterrupted power supply and efficient service delivery.

Dr Kaza put the cost of drugs and water at about ₦20 million during the three months.

On the availability of essential medicines, the executive secretary said the agency provided the state Drug Management Agency with an initial stock of drugs worth ₦170 million to ensure participating facilities had adequate supplies.

He explained that the stock was initially expected to cover at least six months but had supported operations for nearly eight months because of prudent utilisation.

He added that BOSCHMA introduced a wallet system through which funds are deposited for healthcare facilities to obtain medicines from the Drug Management Agency.

According to him, the measures were designed to prevent stock-outs and ensure patients could access prescribed medicines when visiting healthcare facilities.

On the shortage of healthcare workers, Dr Kaza said the Borno State Government had recruited nearly 2,000 health personnel over the preceding two years to strengthen the state’s healthcare system.

He, however, noted that further recruitment would be required as the scheme expanded to accommodate local government employees and vulnerable residents.

He said the agency was working towards ensuring that the increasing number of enrollees could access healthcare services without putting excessive pressure on available personnel.

Dr Kaza expressed optimism that graduates of Kashim Ibrahim University’s College of Health Sciences and nursing institutions in the state would help address the manpower gap in the coming years.

He identified Gwoza and Monguno as locations of nursing colleges established to expand training opportunities in the southern and northern parts of Borno State, respectively.

The executive secretary also identified difficulties in transporting medicines to remote communities as another challenge facing healthcare delivery.

He explained that some local government areas were far from Maiduguri, where the central drug store is located, making the distribution of medicines difficult for facilities in hard-to-reach communities.

To address the challenge, he said Biu had been designated as a zonal distribution centre for local government areas in the southern part of the state.

According to him, the Drug Management Agency established a temporary drug centre in Biu to enable health facilities in the area to collect medicines more conveniently.

Dr Kaza stressed that the success of BOSCHMA depended on collaboration with other government health institutions, including the Primary Health Care Development Board, Hospital Management Board, Ministry of Health and Drug Management Agency.

He said the agency worked with the institutions to identify operational challenges and develop coordinated solutions rather than operating independently.

On the recognition of outstanding healthcare workers, Dr Kaza said BOSCHMA introduced an award programme to motivate personnel who demonstrated exceptional commitment despite operational challenges.

He explained that the initiative was intended to encourage better performance among healthcare workers and facilities, adding that the agency hoped to recognise different individuals and hospitals in subsequent editions.

The executive secretary urged civil servants enrolled in the scheme to take advantage of the healthcare services provided by the state government under Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.

He said the government recognised healthcare as a right rather than a privilege and established BOSCHMA to improve access to affordable and quality medical services.

Dr Kaza added that the agency remained committed to placing patients and enrollees at the centre of its operations while improving the quality of healthcare delivery across Borno State.