Anambra develops health policy strategy to boost service delivery

Anambra State has developed a health policy strategy, `State Task Shifting Task Sharing (TSTS)’ to address health workforce shortage.

Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Joe Akabuike said this during stakeholder’s meeting on TSTS at King David Hotel, Awka.

Akabuike explained that “the goal of TSTS policy is to meet universal health coverage through mobilisation of available human resources. It also helps to ensure equity, accessibility and effectiveness in the delivery of essential health services.”

The commissioner noted that TSTS policy was in line with the goals and priorities of the National Health Policy on Human Resources for Health (HRH).

He explained that the policy had been stipulated in a number of National Documents such as the National Health Strategic Development Plan II (2018-2022) and National Health Act of October 2014.

Akabuike, however, urged the stakeholders during the meeting, to critically review the policy that would enable the state to achieve its aim of initiating the TSTS policy development plan.

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Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Chioma Ezenyimulu, noted that the State Health Act mandated the State Council on Health to develop health policies and guidelines.

“It also has the mandate to monitor provision, distribution, development, management and utilisation of human resources within the health system,” she added.

Head of Department, Planning Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health, Edith Nwachukwu, gave the situation analysis of HRH and the rationale for TSTS in Anambra.

She observed that increase in the number of nurses and midwives’ cadres was not keeping pace with population growth in the state.

Saving One Million Lives Programme for Result Programme Officer, Obiageli Uchebo re-affirmed the importance of adapting the TSTS policy to strengthen the healthcare system.

The South Sahara Social Development Organisation (SSSDO) Project Director, Stanley Ilechukwu, said that they would continue to partner the state for better healthcare services to all.

Representatives of the stakeholders’ reviewed the developed TSTS policy and made some necessary adjustments.

The TSTS policy promotes rational re-distribution of tasks among existing health workforce cadres.

It allows the moving of specific tasks with supervision, where appropriate, from highly qualified health workers to health workers with shorter training and lower qualification.

This is to make more efficient use of available health workers and to improve access to services in the state.