OYSG / UNICEF Trains Health Workers On Development Of Scorecards In Health Facilities …as stakeholders harp on implementation by policy makers

By Ogundele Olanrewaju

Oyo State Government in conjunction with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund ( UNICEF ) on Wednesday concluded a three day training for State Program Officer and Local Government Area M and E officers in the state .

The workshop organised by the Ministry of Health at Kakanfo , Ibadan , centered on development of scorecards on Reproductive Maternal Newborn Childcare Adolescent Health and
Nutrition ( RMNCAH + N) programme .
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, while speaking at the event,called for team work among the Primary Health Officers at local levels in the development of appreciable scorecards for various health facilities .

Dr.Olatunji,explained that the focus of the present administration in the state is to continually improve on its health care delivery, adding that health workers in the state are expected to make use of scorecards of each medical program in their facilities for better services.

He hinted that the state government is working on recruitment of more medical personnel across cadres for optimum performance.
” Staffers of each facility should meet and plan as a team, you should not leave all the work for the head of facilities alone .

” Data on the scorecard will be replicated in each facility so as to gear up and push each facility to improve the narrative of the health situation in the state.
“The MIEs should take the scorecard serious as it remains your data bank “
Also speaking, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics , State’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Abass Gbolahan,said the essence of the workshop is to empower health programme officers at the Local government levels, so that they can improve on their activities.

According to him, the scorecard consist of three categories of color,
Red- for those doing poorly, Yellow-for those who are not doing too bad but still need to improve and
Green- for those doing very good.
” However, having access to the scorecards will enable our health officers to have a quick glance into their activities, programmes and all other things being done at the Local Government Area facilities in order to identify gaps and know how to intervene .

In his submission, Health Specialist, UNICEF Country Office , Khalilu Muhammad, described scorecard as tool to prevent linkages between programme implementation and monitoring in various health facilities of the country .

He advocated proper interpretation of data by relevant stakeholders , noting that the act will assist each state in the area of management and accountability of health programmes .
He reveled that
African Leader Malaria Alliance and the Federal Ministry of Health have been working together since 2018 to support the use of the scorecards , and have been able to train health workers in about 31 states.

He affirmed that the use of scorecards in Oyo state has led to increase resource allocation to health department in some local government areas of the state .
The Consultant, UNICEF , Nigeria , John Quinley , while presenting his paper on the Draft Local Government Area (LGA ) – HF scorecards for Oyo State,identified consistent re-occurring and programme timing as essential factors for decision making and appropriate health care for concerned individuals.

According to him” the purpose of the scorecard is to take currently available data and put it in a one page format where the health facilities can see their performance very clearly and quickly.
“It is a way of using existing information more effectively to achieve change in the health sector.
“The scorecard has been effective since 2018 and the purpose of the training is to bring Oyo’s scorecard work up to date in conjunction with the federal government and Oyo state local government so that the scorecard system can work effectively” He added .

Dr. Oluwafemi Oyemakin of Research Foundation, University of Ibadan, harped on the need for policy makers in the country to take advantage of the data on scorecards in their respective states , while taking decisions on health issues .

The Chairperson, MIE Officers ,Oyo state, Mrs. Olasupo Amina Omolabake,in her contribution,submitted that the training will assist her team in management, accountability and advocacy .