By Baba Ali Kobi
CSO clusters partners carrying out Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) in the Bauchi State Health Sector are calling on the State Government to make adequate budgetary provision in the State 2025 proposed budget.
According to the Clusters, the call has become necessary because the current ISS activities are being funded under the tripatate basket fund of the State Government, Bill and Millenda Gates and Dangote Foundations which is expiring at the end of 2024.
This request was made by a member of the cluster, Asma’u Yahaya during the just concluded Bauchi State 2025 proposed budget consultative meetings held across the three geopolitical zones of the State.
Yahaya, who is the Executive Director of Women with Disability and Integrity Development Initiative (WDIDI), a partner of the ISS cluster, said that budget provisions and prompt releases by the Government has contributed significantly to the progress in the primary health care services in the state.
The WDIDI ED said that the progress and achievements recorded through the activities of the ISS cluster has led to increase access to health care services, provisions of quality health outcomes to citizens, reduce poor health indices and increase government and private sector investment.
Yahaya further stressed that there is a need to sustain Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) in the 2025 budget for the State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB) due to the impact the ISS is making in improved healthcare services in Bauchi State.
The ISS cluster partner enumerated the importance of ISS to include the following:
- ISS enhances the quality of healthcare services, leading to better health outcomes for citizens. The quality of services such as diagnosis, investigation and treatment can only be achieved through ISS at the primary health care centers.
- Regular supervision and provision of technical support to health workers promotes accountability among healthcare workers, ensuring they adhere to standards and protocols. This will enhance confidence to patients and relatives
- Supportive Supervision helps identify and address operational challenges, streamlining healthcare service delivery. This results to enhance efficiency of services
- ISS informs resource allocation decisions, ensuring that resources are utilized effectively. These help to distribute resources evenly and reduces local/ urban resources gaps.
- Effective supportive supervision leads to improved community trust and satisfaction with healthcare services. This will increase health seeking attitude and behavior in some communities in the state.
- ISS helps reduce morbidity and mortality rates by ensuring high-quality healthcare services among other things
Yahaya concluded her request saying, “sustaining ISS in the 2025 budget ensures long-term sustainability of healthcare improvements which the state has recorded since the assumption of current leadership of His Excellency, Senator, Bala Abdulkadir Mohamed, (Kauran Bauchi)”
“By prioritizing ISS in the 2025 budget, the Bauchi State Government demonstrates its commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, improving health outcomes, and enhancing the well-being of its citizens”, said Yahaya.