By Abdullahi Gambo
The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has described its performances of the year 2024 as impressive as its enrolled 97,000 beneficiaries under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and disbursed over 1.2 billion Naira to primary healthcare facilities in three years.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Saleh Abba Kaza disclosed this when he delivered a detailed address on the agency’s annual performance review meeting held at Pinnacle hotel in Maiduguri.
The Executive Secretary BOSCHMA said they are targeting to enroll the formal sector, that is Civil Servants across the State and local government as well as the Private Sector employees, which in the long run is expected to cover the whole of Borno State.
He said they are working with the State government and the Security Agencies on how to extend their services to Guzamala, Kala Balge and Abadam local government areas which were hitherto not reachable by Boschma due to the security reasons.
Presenting the agency’s key achievements and acknowledging the challenges still facing the state’s healthcare system, Dr Abba Kaza emphasized that maternal and child health remained a critical focus, noting that over 50% of the 97,000 enrollees were pregnant women and children.
He explained that In 2024, BOSCHMA disbursed over 40 million Naira in fee-for-service payments to 172 healthcare facilities, a significant increase from 20.5 million Naira in 2023 and 600,000 Naira in 2022.
This funding has supported the referral system between primary and secondary healthcare facilities, which Dr. Saleh-Kaza identified as a major area of improvement.
He said that in the primary healthcare facilities, malaria, hypertension, and diabetes were among the most common health conditions treated, with a total of 15,000 cases recorded.
He added that in the secondary healthcare facilities, dental and ophthalmology cases led the list, while mental health issues were also prevalent, prompting BOSCHMA to explore partnerships with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital for specialized care.
He called on Wealth to do Persons, Philanthropic and humanitarian Organizations to donate resources for Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency to render health care for vulnerable Citizens in the State.
He lamented that the agency’s intention to improve enrollment and coverage, which remains below the national average, with Borno State ranking among the lowest in terms of health insurance coverage.
Dr. Saleh-Kaza noted that Borno State received over 112 million Naira in counterpart funding from the state government in 2024, which has been deposited into the agency’s account for immediate use.
Speaking on the Boschma’s commitment to ensure quality delivery of their services, Dr Inna Alimi maintained that they operated in accordance with the stipulated regulations which culminated in their successes and reiterated to enhance it beyond.
Earlier speaking, Dr. Muhammed Guluze, Chairman of the Occasion and Permanent Secretary Admin at Government House, dwell on the importance of reviewing healthcare performance to ensure effective governance.
He urged all attendees to actively participate in discussions and critiques to foster progress.
Also speaking, Ahmed Jamal, Secretary NHIA, praised Boschma’s impressive coverage, noting it had achieved almost 97% of its goals.
He emphasized the critical role of state government involvement in the success of the healthcare program and urged all stakeholders to push for greater state government participation to ensure universal health coverage.
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