USAID partners SHOPS to strengthen health sector.

The United States Agency International Development (USAID) in partnership with Strengthening Private Sector Project (SHOPS) has once again strengthened private healthcare players as it presented a private health sector trade fair.
The trade fair, held recently in Lagos, with the theme “Effective public-private partnership: A sure way of promoting Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria” was to facilitate stronger relationships between a variety of stakeholders in the private health care industry.
The chief of party, SHOPS, Mrs Ayodele Iroko stated that the health fair was aimed at creating and strengthening linkages between financial institutions and private health providers.
She said that private healthcare provider can now have access to loans from banks that partner with USAID, adding that more banks are showing interest in this project.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris in his remark at the fair, lauded the initiative, noting that over 50 per cent of the health needs of Lagos residents are met by the private sector.
He said the programme will build bridges and establish linkages between the private, manufacturing industries and other corporate outfits.
Dr Idris while noting that the state alone cannot provide financial support for  healthcare delivery services, said the programme will ensure that the private health providers are fully equipped to run successful business enterprises whilst providing excellent reproductive health services to clients.
Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Chairman, Juli Pharmacy in a keynote address, expressed gratitude to USAID Nigeria for its support in building the capacity of private providers not only in health, but in business practices through the loan facilities and links to sources of finance.
The National President, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr Anthony Omolola, however noted that limited health insurance coverage and the slow progress in integrating the private sector into the policy enforcement has affected private sector effective participation in changing the dynamics of service delivery in the health sector.
Dr Omolola said that government need to increase its commitment to health insurance to achieve universal coverage by providing funding to increase the number of people covered and improve and empower the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) regulatory environment.