The Government of Cross River has stated that managers of all healthcare facilities in the State receiving capitation from both federal and state health insurance gateways would henceforth account for the expenditure of such funds.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, who made the disclosure, on Wednesday, during an unscheduled visit to the General Hospital, Okpoma, Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, expressed displeasure at the degree of financial impropriety and other untoward practices in government health facilities, saying that the Ministry of Health would embolden its oversight function and set up monitoring teams that will supervise business plans of medical facilities and report same to the Ministry with the view to drive fiscal probity, prudence and efficiency.
"The health insurance capitation is meant to up service delivery for the benefit of beneficiaries in the target hospitals. The funds are to be used to attract clients and improve health insurance coverage. I do not think this is the case in the hospitals. In spite of the funding, service utilization is still poor with dilapidated infrastructure. And these anomalies are not just going on in one hospital; others are caught in the same web," the Commissioner told newsmen, adding that "I have requested the hospital management to furnish me with comprehensive utilization data."
The Health Commissioner reassured Cross Rivererians of the Governor Otu-led administration's resolve to repositioning the health sector to live up to its billing as the bedrock of a healthy citizenry.
In his response, Dr. Gabriel Egbai, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, assured the Commissioner of prompt response to his requests.
By Ebi Collins, The Beagle News
