The research was based on the need
to verify Health Care Financing in Nigeria using Primary Health Care Financing
in Ezeagu Local Government Area Enugu State as a case study. It should be noted
that findings of this work were made in relation to the scope of the study and
result of the analysis of the data collected. Thus based on the analysis of the
questionnaire responses, the following findings have been made.
Health care financing by the three
local government areas do not have significant effect on Nigerian economic
growth.
1.
The application
of Primary Health Care Programme is not effective in the Local Government
Areas. Such processes like planning, organizing, coordinating, directing etc
are not effectively done. The above techniques are applied to enable an
organization to be run effectively and efficiently but where they are neglected
the results are unproductive.
2.
Resources are not
adequately provided for running the Primary Health Care services in the council
areas, such resources include personnel, infrastructural facilities and money,
if not adequately provided, it affects the lives of the people in the area.
3.
To a very large
extent, the people of the local governments areas are not involved in the
decision making process as it concerns Primary Health Care services. The result
is that programmes which otherwise would have been the case are abandoned after
their establishment hence, the people are not well educated or enlightened of
the intentions of government concerning such health issues.
4.
There is no
enough fund that go into the improvement of health facilities in the areas.
5.
A good number of
measures should be taken to improve on the primary health care in the areas.
Such measures should include adequate funding, provision of medical personnel,
provision of equipment and effective management of programmes.
6.
When health care
services are not financed, it leads to decreased in the number of young men and
women engaged in economic activities in the areas.
7.
As a result of
inadequate funding of the primary health care programme, there is an increase
in the frequency of children and maternal mortality rate.
CONCLUSION
Health care financing is a right
step in a right direction and should be appreciated by the stakeholders in the
health sector. When this is done, it will improve the living standard of Enugu
state and Nigeria in general.
Hence, the researcher draws the
conclusion to include:
(a)
The local government
council should be well equipped to manage the programme. The rural communities
which are among the stakeholders or the direct beneficiaries are not involved
in the decision making process which would have been the best way to mobilize
them and popularize the prgoramme.
(b)
Both federal and
state government should donate funds or make funds available to the local
councils. They should be involved in formulation and implementation of
programme on primary health care delivery. There is an obvious neglect of the
autonomy of the council by the superior government. This is counter productive.
Unless the superior government assist and accommodates fully local government
councils, the realization of the objectives.
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