Primary Health Care: Taraba Govt urged to pay counterpart fund

The Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, TSPHCDA, Dr. Tukura Nuhu Nyigwa, has identified non-prompt payment of counterpart funding as a major challenge bedevilling Primary Health Care, PHC, in the state.

He stated this during a one-day retreat with state and local government policymakers on PHC performance and the sustainability of the PHC memorandum of understanding implementation.

Speaking at the retreat that took place in neighbouring Adamawa State, Nyigwa highlighted that PHCs in the state, are struggling due to the non-payment of counterpart funds by the previous administrations.

Optimistic that the incumbent administration will do the needful, he called on the current leadership of the state to endeavour to fulfil the MoU it signed with GAVI.

Expressing concern that three years after the MoU was signed, the state has yet to fulfil its part of the agreement, he stressed that it has become necessary for the current administration, under the leadership of Governor Agbu Kefa, to take the bull by the horns.

While GAVI has reportedly provided the necessary funding, the Taraba State Government, at the time of filing this report, has yet to meet its obligations.

The agreement, which includes the engagement of 450 health workers that ought to be executed by the state and GAVI, was said to have been left for the latter alone.

“GAVI has already hired 300 workers, but the Taraba government has yet to fulfil its part by engaging the remaining 150,” he stated.

Also emphasising the acute shortage of manpower in most of the PHCs in the state, he urged the state government to go the extra mile to fulfil its part of the agreement.

He also pointed out the lack of office accommodations for agency staff and called on the government to construct suitable offices urgently.

He stressed the importance of retaining the 450 health workers and ensuring that they are all on the payroll of the state government. These, and building a befitting office for the staff of the agency, are, according to him, crucial to the project’s sustainability beyond GAVI’s involvement.

The retreat brought together members of the state chapter of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria, ALGON, traditional rulers and critical stakeholders from the state’s health sector.