By Edu Abade
In a bid to further achieve desirable and robust healthcare outcomes, the Rivers State Ministry of Health has charged Project Financial Management Officers (PFMOs) to work together with other health personnel and officers in ensuring that the state’s healthcare system is strengthened for overall improvement in the citizens’ health and general well being.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Comfort Mekele Igwe, who gave the charge in Port Harcourt recently, while declaring open a two-day training programme for the PFMOs in the state, stressed that the ministry recognises the importance of capacity building in enhancing performance, saying that financial management officers cannot be an exception.
Igwe, who restated the role of PFMOs, reminded the participants that they were saddled with the responsibility of tracking and ensuring proper documentation in the accounts of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) that accrue to states of the federation.
According to Dr. Igwe, the training with the theme: Equipping PFMOs for Effective Financial and Performance Accountability at the PHC Level, was organized at an auspicious time and crucial as it would equip the officers with the necessary skills to manage resources effectively and help in delivering quality healthcare services across the state.
The Permanent Secretary then used the opportunity to charge the concerned officers to utilise the opportunity of the training to learn, share experiences and network, wishing them a fruitful training session.
In his welcome remarks at the two-day training, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Prof. Kinikanwo Innocent Green also emphasized that financial management remains crucial to the Board, as it is at the core of the success of any organisation, hence the introduction of PFMOs.
Prof. Green, who explained that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which is a 1 percent extraction of the consolidated revenue of the Federal Government to cater for the various health sectors throughout the federation, is a key project for the good health of the people, urged the PFMOs to ensure that all monies passing through the primary health care systems are judiciously and effectively managed.
The Executive Secretary of RSPHCMB further stressed the critical role of the financial officers being trained, urging them to take the training and the work so assigned to them with utmost seriousness and dedication.
In his goodwill message at the event, South-South Zonal Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Board (NPHCDA), Dr. Ukpong Imoh admonished the PFMOs to take their assignments seriously while cautioning them to always remember that they were carefully selected.
Other organizations that gave goodwill messages at the event include the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP).
At the training sessions were the PFMOs and representatives of various health organizations, staff members of NPHCDA and the State Focal Person, Basic Health Care Provision Fund, Mr. Buduzhi Gift Oguzor, who moderated the training programme.
