FCT FLAGS OFF 4-DAY CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP FOR HEALTH MANAGERS
By: Doris Jonah
As part of a nationwide initiative by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the National Healthcare Sector Wide Approach (SWAP), the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has officially flagged off a 4-day Capacity Development Workshop for Health Managers in the FCT Health Sector in Abuja.
Speaking at the flag-off, the Mandate Secretary FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES) Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe said the workshop tagged “Towards Rational, Realistic, Pragmatic and Comprehensive Plan that Informs Health Budget” has in attendance stewards of FCT Health System whose presence “underscores a shared commitment to building a healthier, more resilient FCT that can serve as a model for the Nation and contribute to the National One Health Conversation” she stated.
The deliberations according to the Mandate Secretary HSES will focus on issues bordering on Leadership, Health Systems Strengthening and planning to improve and ensure equitable health services across boards, in her words “this workshop is about giving our system the structural backbone it needs for better coordination, data-driven decisions, local ownership, pooled funding and results that will translate to real improvements in the lives of FCT residents” she said.
Dr. Fasawe also said that the One Health Plan initiative in FCT will help to address the diverse and dynamic nature of the territory where “urban pressures meet rural realities, fragmented efforts and siloed planning which can no longer support the scale of transformation seek hence; SWAP allows for donor resources, government policies and community needs under one cohesive strategy anchored in Health Sector Strategic Blueprint” to mitigate these complexities.
Again, the Mandate Secretary stated that the workshop will enhance accountable, inclusive, and effective health management with expected outcomes targeted to sharpen essential leadership and technical skills in strategic health planning with a system lens.
She added that it will use data to inform decision making, participatory budgeting and equitable resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation for service improvement, stakeholder engagement across sectors and communities, as well as a new digital Annual Operation Plan (AOP) tool.
Furthermore, Dr. Fasawe noted that the tools will help to tackle unique challenges in the FCT varying from improved referral system across health facilities, expanding access in underserved settlements and enhancing digital health infrastructure in line with global best practices with expected outcomes that will change current indices of Maternal and Infant Mortality which the FCT Administration has zero tolerance for and other challenges at both Primary and Secondary levels as well.
In the same vein, the Ag. Director General FCT Hospitals Management Board (HMB), Dr. Olugbenga Bello, who was in attendance, urged participants to leverage on the strong partnership between Area Councils, Development Partners, Civil Society, and Frontline Health Managers to present viable solutions that will be captured under the One Health Budget Plan for 2026 as intended by the SWAP and FMOH.
Dr. Bello also reiterated the need to harness knowledge, experience, and deliberations from the workshop that will address the effect of health challenges on other systems in the Federation as well as re-train others on knowledge gained during the workshop, which is the reason for the simultaneous exercise in the 36 states of the Federation and FCT.
Likewise, the Ag. Director Health Planning, Research and Statistics in HSES Dr. Teresa Nwachukwu who is the FCT SWAP Coordinator/Desk Officer in her presentation mentioned that the workshop is a journey towards revamping of AOP that started last year to study peculiarities in challenges across the Nation at every level with findings translating to solutions that can be captured in AOP to proffer solutions in the system.
Having a formidable AOP under the One Health Plan Dr. Nwachukwu said will deliver ” a health system that is responsive and offers the exact care that is of world class standard and quality which will not happen by default but through committed efforts requiring adequate planning peculiar to challenges for proper implementation” she said.
Equally, she highlighted that this year’s AOP will be evidence-driven, adopting development process based on discussion including multi-level reviews for alignment and consistency with the National and State level priorities because in order to achieve improved health outcomes it is pertinent to change strategy for delivery so as to develop a Rational, Realistic, Pragmatic and Comprehensive plan that will serve the people well, she added.
Participants of the Workshop include; Management Staff from FCT Primary Health Care Board, Public Health Department, HPRS, FCT Health Insurance Scheme, Directors of Primary Health Care Centers in the 6 Area Councils and Development Partners like World Health Organization, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Society for Family Health among others.
