UCTH partners with Cross River State Ministry of Health

Cross River State Ministry of Health Partners UCTH for Improved Healthcare Delivery.

In a harmonious work relationship, the Cross River state Ministry of Health has felicitated with the Chief Medical Director and Management team of UCTH. The meeting which has been the second of such in last one month afforded the two parties the opportunity to discuss common interests and other partnership opportunities in healthcare delivery.

Leading the state Govt team, the Special Adviser on Health, Dr David Ushie commended the UCTH team for the professional services being rendered to the citizens of the state and for their pioneering role in the area of Health manpower development for the state. \’Given the absence of a state specialist Health manpower training Institution, we are blessed by your presence and your roles in training the specialist manpower needs which our people deserve\’.

The Adviser further informed the UCTH management that his mission at the visit was to formally introduce the new Perm Sec, Dr Iwara I. Iwara, who was recently appointed by His Excellency and posted to the SMoH charged with the smooth administration of the state Health agenda. \’The main purpose of this visit is to formally and unbehalf of His Excellency, Sen Prof Ben Ayade, introduce the new Perm Sec to your management in fulfilment of the need for the state to fill our gap in the board of your management, which existed since our last Perm Sec, Barr Takon retired from service about a year ago. I\’m pleased to also in our company introduce the Director of Administration, DA, of SMoH, also posted to the ministry the same week to help the PS pilot the Health policy of the state\’. \’As you already know, in our last visit about two weeks ago, I came with the entire CRS health team comprising of the state ministry of health, the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the National Health insurance Authority\’. The purpose was to increase the integration of our public health response in the last year of the administration and to guarantee efficiency, especially given the disruptions that elections and political transitions can create within the public service in general\’. Like the last, this visit is of no less importance to our industry and the practice of saving lives, he concluded.

Responding unbehalf of the UCTH management, the Director of Administration, Barr Ededet Eyoma thanked the Governor and the team for the gesture while assuring that the new Perm Sec will be invited to represent the state in the upcoming board meeting of the hospital. Barr Eyoma went further to lament the seeming low level in the previous supports usually provided by the state Govt in supporting the running of the UCTH, nothing that he hopes that the renewal of relations will translate into such assistance from His Excellency going forward. We usually had stipends sent to the hospital from time time for running cost but this has stopped for a while now, I hope you make good presentation in our behalf for His Excellency to resume such help. We know how hard things are currently but the little help from there can help us serve our people better, especially given the high cost of diesel and other consumables used to cater for the vulnerable citizens who cannot afford care from out-of-pocket expenses\’.

In his welcome remarks, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, Dr Michael Eyong, thanked the state team for the visit while promising a closer support for the state\’s Public Health activities, including the tertiary component of the Health Insurance Services to the state health insurance enrollees. Dr Eyong noted that the UCTH is already engaged in Health insurance services with the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, which makes it very easy since the same NHIA is the Federal regulator of the state health Insurance operations. \’Our desk officer on Health insurance will work with your team and draw the agreement as required\’, the CMAC concluded. The people we care for are our CRS citizens and we know the importance of health in driving the industrialization activities of His Excellency, the digital Governor\’.

In appreciation of the UCTH team, the new Perm sec, Dr Iwara I Iwara thanked the management while promising to close the gap between the govt and the hospital, nothing that many of the decision makers were either his classmates or his teachers while in medical school.

\’We have come along way in our individual social and and professional relationships which should make it easy to carry on this time as a family\’.

Also remarking, the Director of Medical and Dental Services, Dr Itam Essien, expressed his assurance, stating, \’Dr Iwara is going to make a good representation given his anticident in administering the department of Public Health DPH of the SMoH as the department relates with all Health partners of the state response\’.

Inbis final response, the Special Adviser assured the UCTH team of transmitting the complaints to the Executive Governor who he believed will like to reestablish the flourishing in relationship. He further appealed to the UCTH management for the timely completion of the pending Service Level agreement (MoU) between the state Health Insurance Agency and the UCTH.

\’This service level agreement is key to the relationship between the two authorities as it guarantees the missing tertiary level healthcare component to the state health insurance scheme. The scheme, he said, commenced commenced rendering clinical care to her enrollees since Dec 14th, 2021\’. As a member of this community, it will be my pleasure to bring the attention of His Excellency to the institution.