Okoh, BPE DG Asssures Nigerians On Proposed Health Sector Reforms

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex A. Okoh, has assured the nation that the proposed reforms in the health sector being canvassed by the agency would not involve divestiture of the Government from any health facility.

He explained that instead, the reforms would entail a repositioning of the health sector to increase private sector participation and funding thereby improving access to quality healthcare for all and reverse poor health indices in the country.

He made the remark at the inauguration of the Project Delivery Team (PDT) for the Nigeria Health Sector Reform at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on Tuesday 6th August, 2019.

The Director General who was represented by the Director, Post Transaction Management Department of the BPE, Mallam Yusuf Adamu, further explained that the health sector reform was a joint initiative of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), designed to undertake a comprehensive, holistic, partnership-based reform towards addressing identified challenges.

The Project Delivery Team which is expected to effectively drive the reform process and make necessary recommendations to the Health Reform Steering Committee (HSRSC) is charged with:

Interfacing with and reviewing the reports of the consultancies and make recommendation to the Steering Committee;

Developing a detailed project plan for the reform of the health sector; design and drive stakeholder’s sensitization and engagement strategies for a successful reform;

Developing a process for identification and selection of the most suitable investors for the health sector and carry out any other activities that may be necessary to ensure successful reform of the Nigerian health sector.

A release by the BPE Head of Public Communications Amina  Tukur Othman, quotes the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi who inaugurated the committee, as charging it to work assiduously to meet the desired goals.

Abdullahi added that though the task ahead for the members of the PDT as highlighted in the Terms of Reference (TOR) may be daunting, it was however achievable as was  done in many other developing countries.