The Niger State Contributory Health Agency-NiCare has successfully completed its First Quarter 2026 Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, visiting 140 health facilities across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare service delivery, enhance accountability, and improve patient outcomes. The statewide exercise was preceded by a training and orientation session for supervisors and monitors drawn from within and outside the Agency. The session was aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and skills required to effectively assess healthcare facilities and ensure compliance with established operational standards. Participants were taken through the updated Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Evaluation tools and checklists, assessment procedures, reporting requirements, and key performance indicators. The orientation also sought to promote a uniform understanding of supervisory standards and ensure consistency in the conduct of assessments across all facilities visited. A total of 140 facilities were assessed during the exercise, comprising 128 facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and 12 facilities under the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP). The inclusion of TISHIP facilities marked a significant milestone in the Agency’s quality assurance efforts, expanding oversight across key healthcare programmes and ensuring beneficiaries continue to receive quality healthcare services. During the visits, supervisory teams evaluated critical aspects of healthcare delivery, including patient care, record management, availability of essential services, facility operations, and adherence to programme guidelines. The exercise also provided an opportunity for direct engagement with healthcare workers, facility managers, and enrollees to obtain feedback, identify challenges, and recommend practical measures for service improvement. The supervisory exercise further enabled the Agency to identify best practices, assess gaps requiring intervention, and gather valuable information to support evidence-based decision-making and continuous quality improvement across the state’s healthcare system. Speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary, the Director Health Planning Research and Statistics Pharm Musa Abdul, highlighted the importance of regular supervision in maintaining service standards, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that healthcare facilities deliver quality services to enrollees and other beneficiaries. He commended the commitment and professionalism demonstrated by supervisors, healthcare workers, Local Government officials, and other stakeholders whose collective efforts contributed to the successful conduct of the exercise. NiCare reaffirmed its commitment to improving healthcare delivery through effective monitoring, strategic partnerships, and continuous quality improvement initiatives. The Agency expressed confidence that findings from the exercise will guide targeted interventions and contribute to better health outcomes for residents across Niger State.
