Health experts and stakeholders have canvassed for closer synergy and accountability to bring about improved healthcare service delivery to the people of Rivers State.
The assertion was made on Friday, 27 June, 2025, at the 2nd quarter meeting of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) gateway in Port Harcourt.
In an opening speech, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Comfort Mekele Igwe said that government aims to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and the provision of affordable health care services for all Rivers residents.
She emphasised that the effective management of whatever funds that get to the health sector is very crucial and critical in achieving the goal of health for all Rivers residents.
Dr. Igwe also reiterated that Rivers State Government is working to strengthen the healthcare system in the state so as to ensure that everyone residing in the state has quality health care services, urging everyone in the sector to work together towardsimprovingthehealthof the people.
In her welcome remarks, the Executive Secretary (Ag) of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala thanked all the gateway leads and stakeholders at the meeting for their continuous commitment, resilience, and collaboration in driving the objectives of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund(BHCPF).
She said, “their efforts have been instrumental in achieving the progress so far made in the health sector in the state.”
Dr. Agala reiterated that the meeting provides a vital platform to strengthen interagency coordination, review the collective progress of the various gateways, identify bottlenecks, and to co-create practical and sustainable strategies to implement service delivery under Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The RIVCHPP boss commended the Medical Officers of Health of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state who, though not statutory participants , but adjudged critical, described them as frontline implementers at the LGA level, calling on them to share their on- the- ground experiences and views that will help to bring about improved service delivery at the primary health care level.
Expressing his views at the meeting, the Chairman of Medical Officers of Health, Rivers State, Dr. Keke Rammyson said that the BHCPF has greatly helped to improve health care services state bringing about improved infrastructure, provision of drugs and laboratory reagents, more community through sensitisations, among other benefits.
Dr. Rammyson, however, advocated for the inclusion of an MOH in the membership of the BHCPF gateways coordination secretariat that was inaugurated at the meeting to make them part of the planning process which will put them in a better position for smooth implementation and utilisation of the funds.
Also, speaking at the meeting, Dr. Simene Sangha of Clinton Health Access Initiative said that the main objective of the meeting was to address common challenges of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), leveraging available institutional resources to address some of the challenges of the BHCPF in Rivers State.
At the meeting, there was a review of the second quarter challenges, highlights of experiences by representatives of the BHCPF gateways in the state, sharing of challenges and possible ways out with input from Medical Officers of Health and other stakeholders, and the inauguration of a BHCPF coordination Secretariat for the state.
Dr Igwe carried out the inauguration of the BHCPF gateway coordination Secretariat with a charge to ensure that the meetings are properly planned and adequately utilised to improve the provision and accessibility to quality health care services in all participating health facilities across the state.
The BHCPF gateway coordination Secretariat has the following persons amongst others; Dr. Ireju Ajie representing Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) gateway and Gift Buduzhi Oguzor representing Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board.
Others are, Dr. Des-wosu Ihuoma, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Dr. Chinonso Nwadike, representing Rivers State Emergency and State Ambulance Services.
Stakeholders hailed the development, saying that the Secretariat will help to coordinate the quarterly meetings as hosted rotationally by the leadership of various gateways.
The meeting was attended by leaders of the 4 gateways and other stakeholders in the health sector including representatives of Clinton Health Access Initiative ( CHAI).
