NGO says hike in fuel price affecting effective healthcare coverage
A Non Governmental Organisation known as Integrated Supervision Support (ISS) has lamented the increase in fuel and transportation prices.
The organization saddled with the supervision of major Primary Health care noted high cost of fuel and transportation has negatively affected the frequency and coverage of Primary Healthcare Centers in the states where they are domiciled.
ISS is a coalition of 6 different NGOs namely, Life Transformation for Africa Initiative (LIFT4AFRICA), Council for Affirmative Action (COFA), Women with Disability integrity & Development Initiative (WDIDI), Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC), She-Alert Care Foundation (SHE-ALERT) and Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI) implementing the scale project of the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) with the aim of improving health care service delivery.
Program Manager of LIFT4AFRICA, Mr. Ezeani Chiemezie in a round table with the media at the weekend said the program is a 5 year project implemented by Palladium in collaboration with Nigeria Resource Partners (RPs).
He said, “The Health System Strengthening Cluster is implementing a project titled; Improved Quality Healthcare Service Delivery through Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS).
“The cluster comprises of six (6) civil society organizations across the country viz; Life Transformation for Africa Initiative (LIFT4AFRICA), Council for Affirmative Action (COFA), Women with Disability integrity & Development Initiative (WDIDI), Bauchi State Network of Civil Societies (BASNEC), She-Alert Care Foundation (SHE-ALERT) and Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI) serving as the anchor organization.
“The Cluster is implementing The Scale project a USAID-funded 5-year project (Oct. 2020 – Oct. 2025), implemented by Palladium in collaboration with Nigeria Resource Partners (RPs).
“Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) is an intervention that facilitates quality improvement by ensuring adequate oversight as well as skills and knowledge transfer to health care service providers. ISS has been accepted, tested and proven to enhance the performance and effectiveness of health care workers.
“The current structure and placement of Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) is suboptimal and, therefore, limits the capacity of integrated supportive supervision to effectively engage through a sector-wide approach for effective implementation.
“Domestic financing support for Integrated Supportive Supervision is inadequate and there is high dependency on donor funding.
“High Cost of Fuel and Transportation is Negatively Impacting ISS Activities in all the Target States. The current hike in fuel prices and its attendant high cost of transport has negatively affected the frequency and coverage of Primary Healthcare Centers, especially health facilities located in hard-to-reach communities.
Limiting supervision activities to main primary healthcare centers in every Ward.”
