By SN24.com 
The Plateau State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PLASCHEMA) recently held a townhall meeting with primary healthcare workers to discuss challenges and solutions to service utilization under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF). The meeting aimed to engage healthcare workers, sensitize beneficiaries on the BHCPF, and identify challenges faced during implementation.
Dr. Nden Julfa Jude, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, PLASCHEMA Said this town hall meeting is a quarterly event where we engage with beneficiaries and facility managers to discuss challenges and co-create solutions. We expect to reach 325 facilities and gather feedback from enrollees to improve our services. Our agency is committed to decentralizing our services and making healthcare accessible to all.
We urge enrollees to report any challenges they face and utilize our call center and zonal offices. We’ve made significant progress in improving healthcare services, and we’re committed to sustaining this momentum. Our goal is to ensure that every individual in Plateau State has access to quality healthcare services.
The feedback we receive from enrollees is crucial in helping us identify areas for improvement and develop action plans to address these challenges. We’re committed to working with our stakeholders to improve healthcare services and achieve universal health coverage.
PLASCHEMA expects challenges to reduce as they implement their programs, but acknowledges that some issues may still arise. They encourage beneficiaries to report challenges via their call center or zonal offices. The agency has decentralized its services to local governments and established zonal offices in Burkin, Ladi, Pankshin, and Shandam to ensure issues are addressed at the grassroots level.
PLASCHEMA appreciates the support of His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang who approved and released N327 million in counterpart funding, enabling the enrollment of 9,113 poor and vulnerable individuals under the equity plan. They also acknowledge the support of ALGON in complementing the efforts of the state government.
Dr. Mosat Emmanuel, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Plateau State Primary Healthcare Board, in an interview with Sourcenews24 said the town hall meeting is very important in the sense that pertinent issues were raised, and we’ve assured the board that we’re working assiduously to address some of these issues. Like the issue of lack of human resources for health, the board is making every effort to see that we get more number of healthcare workers employed.
Dr. Mosat said the town hall meeting is addressing healthcare challenges. He notes that the board is working to address issues raised, including the lack of human resources for health, and has advertised for employment and conducted a computer-based test. He emphasizes the synergy between PLASCHEMA and the Primary Healthcare Board in achieving universal health coverage, with PLASCHEMA providing financial risk protection and population coverage, while the board focuses on service delivery.
Felicia Solomon Davwit, Director, PHC, Mikang Local Government
This town hall meeting has been very beneficial, and I’ve learned a lot about how to improve healthcare services at the grassroots level. We plan to take the knowledge gained from this meeting back to our local government and implement it to benefit our people.
We usually conduct town hall meetings and educate the community on the importance of accessing healthcare services. We’ve seen a significant improvement in healthcare outcomes since the inception of PLASCHEMA, and we’re committed to sustaining this momentum.
Davou Dung, Program Manager of CBN Development Partners to PLASCHEMA
We’re committed to supporting PLASCHEMA and improving healthcare services for vulnerable populations. We’ve enrolled over 180 people into the Plateau Health Insurance scheme, and we’re working to ensure that they receive quality healthcare services. Our collaboration with PLASCHEMA is essential in achieving our goals.
Conclusion
The town hall meeting highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaboration in improving healthcare services and achieving universal health coverage. The meeting provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss challenges and co-create solutions to improve healthcare services in Plateau State.
