By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Plateau State Contributory Health Care Management Agency (PLASCHEMA), a state social health insurance scheme, set up over three years ago to improve and expand the scope of healthcare delivery at affordable rates for the general public has recorded an applaudable success beyond the expectations of citizens.
However, after the change of government in May 29, 2023, the transition era greeted the Agency with some misgivings orchestrated by some unidentified persons who could be in the opposition party just to discredit PLASCHEMA laudable achievements. https://sundiatapost.com/we-place-high-premium-on-our-database-plaschema/
These misgivings however has prompted the Agency to give account of its stewardship in the last seven months.
A Director of the Agency Mr, David Wuyep who spoke on behalf of the Director General (DG) of PLASCHEMA, Dr. Agabus Manasseh Nanfwang said for the first time the State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang gave the Agency over N300 million to attend to the health challenges of the vulnerable in the society.
Nanfwang said when the new management took over office, PLASCHEMA was indebted to the tune of N162,000,000 which has since been cleared.
According to him: “From the month of May, 2023, the Agency was already indebted with regards to payments of capitations and fee for service to facilities for three months to approximately the sum of N162,000,000. This indebtedness was soon resolved by the prompt payments of salaries and release of remittance by the Governor, such that the Agency now is up to date with payments of capitation and fee for service to facilitates which has attracted even more facilities under the program as against the speculations that some facilities had exited the program”.
Still responding to the allegations of misgivings, the DG continued: “With respect to the allegation on pilfering, as soon as this government came into power, an Executive order from the office of the Attorney general was served, directing the Agency to carry out an investigative audit of the Agency from inception and an external audit firm was engaged. This was done and the report forwarded to the office of the Attorney general for necessary punitive measures. And we believe that the investigative audit findings would have answered all questions on misappropriation of funds within the Agency.
“Also, N13 million had been speculated to have been expended on Portraits production. Here, the Agency clearly and sincerely posits that there has never been a contract awarded to the sum of N13 million in the Agency for portraits as speculated.
“The agency has been able to convince and attract one of the most difficult sectors, the Informal sector and is currently having more than 3000 enrollees”, he said. https://sundiatapost.com/we-place-high-premium-on-our-database-plaschema/
Nanfwang, still clearing the air said that he only inherited the sum of N38 million from his predecessors, wondering where the N800 million he was accused to have expended came from.
The DG made these clarifications in response to some Netizens who took to the social media to accuse the agency of being turned into an avenue for siphoning State funds, our correspondent reports.
Nanfwang however added that a summary of the Agency’s achievement in seven months includes increased number of accredited facilities, increased enrolments status of both the formal and informal sector and study tour to PLASCHEMA by some neighbouring States.
