ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AGENCIES TO MANAGE THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

The success of the Primary Health Care (PHCs) Centres in delivering health services at the community level is largely dependent on the effectiveness, efficiency, and management support being provided by the PHC Agencies. This study identified institutional capacity needs of selected PHC Agencies that will require urgent attention as a veritable means of the revitalisation of the PHC facilities and the capacity of these Agencies to operationalise the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF). A descriptive survey of the five State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDA) in Southeast Nigeria. The respondents comprised all management staff of the SPHCDA in each of the five States. A standardized Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT) was used for data collection. Approvals were obtained and preliminary consultations were done. OCAT was administered to managers at the Agencies and the findings were validated with the respondents. The findings showed that none of the Agencies attained a 50% organizational capacity score indicating poor organizational capacity. The main areas of common underperformance included: resource mobilisation, human resources for health, and service delivery. There is an overall weak organisational capacity of the key management body for PHC service provision in this part of the country. Human and institutional capacity development is crucial to the improvement of services and productivity of the PHC system. It is therefore important to periodically assess, identify issues and plan for capacity improvements in Agencies that manage crucial systems such as the SPHCA.