Private companies to monitor health facilities in Lagos

BY EMEKA EJERE

For better coverage and improvement in the quality of healthcare delivery, Lagos State Government said it would engage the services of franchise companies to monitor health facilities in the state.

The Board Chairman, Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr Yemisi Sholanke-Koya, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday, in Alausa Ikeja.

According to Sholanke-Koya, the agency will embark on a Public-Private Partnership in which some of the functions of the agency will be contracted to private organizations to enhance efficiency in service delivery.

The Board chairman explained that this arrangement is in accordance with the provisions of Section 49 of the Health Sector Reform Law 2006, which empowers the agency to engage franchise companies to monitor health facilities and ensure compliance with set standards, adding that the move will enable the agency to focus more on other responsibilities.

“We will be engaging the services of franchise companies in our monitoring activities which are in accordance with the provisions of Section 49 of the Health Sector Reform Law. Monitoring activities will be contracted to reputable private organizations to enable us to focus mainly on activities such as accreditation of health facilities and inspection for the registration of new facilities,” Sholanke-Koya said.

While discussing the fight against quackery in Lagos State, she stressed that the government remains committed to winning the war against quackery, while also warning that any facility owner or individual engaging in quackery will be sanctioned accordingly.

The HEFAMAA Chairman revealed that the agency will introduce a Health Facility Inspection Tool called Health FIT to foster efficient and effective inspection and monitoring of health facilities in the state.

She explained that the Health FIT is an android-based application developed to make the recording of data seamless and facilitate the real-time rendition of reports of the agency.

Sholanke-Koya acknowledged the contribution of the agency to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic through the development of Covid-19 protocols for health facilities as well as education and sensitization of facility owners on the need to safeguard the health of all residents.