The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Private Health Facilities and Institutions Regulatory Agency (NASPHFIRA), Dr Nana Emeribe, has emphasised the need for a comprehensive database of private health facilities in the state to support effective regulation, decision-making, and policy formulation.
Dr Emeribe made the call during a visit to the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NAPHDA), Dr Usman Iskilu Saleh, in Lafia.
She said the visit was part of efforts to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, promote the agency’s mandate and improve healthcare delivery across the state.
According to her, NAPHDA is a strategic partner to NASPHFIRA, noting that while NAPHDA oversees public primary healthcare facilities, NASPHFIRA regulates private health facilities and institutions.
“NAPHDA is actually a key partner which NASPHFIRA sees as one to work together and solve together. I look at NASPHFIRA as the other side of NAPHDA,” she said.
Dr Emeribe disclosed that Karu Local Government Area accounts for the highest concentration of private health facilities in the state, with approximately 70 per cent located in the area, making collaboration between the two agencies essential for effective monitoring and regulation.
She explained that compiling an accurate database of private health facilities would help the agency identify and address quackery, unprofessional conduct and other practices that could undermine healthcare delivery.
Although she acknowledged the challenges associated with the data collection exercise, she expressed confidence that cooperation from NAPHDA would facilitate its successful implementation.
To achieve this, the NASPHFIRA boss proposed an awareness campaign in collaboration with local government areas, focusing on collecting data on private health facilities at the ward level.
She also disclosed plans to organise capacity-building programmes for private healthcare providers across the state to improve professionalism and service delivery.
In his response, the Executive Secretary of NAPHDA, Dr Usman Iskilu Saleh, assured NASPHFIRA of NAPHDA’s willingness to collaborate with the agency, offering professional guidance and other forms of support to strengthen healthcare delivery in Nasarawa State.
