The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to promote transparency, accountability and improved healthcare service delivery.

The director-general of BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Mr Adedokun spoke when the director-general of NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, visited him.

He commended the reforms and initiatives recently introduced by the NHIA leadership, describing Mr Ohiri’s pragmatic approach to healthcare delivery as timely and impactful.

The director-general said that while BPP and NHIA operated in different sectors, both agencies played similar roles in driving national growth through transparency and good governance.

He urged NHIA to comply with procurement directives issued by BPP, while emphasising the importance of collective effort in building a strong healthcare system that would provide Nigerians with better access to medical services.

According to him, weaknesses in healthcare infrastructure and service delivery can endanger citizens’ lives, cause youth mortality and aggravate economic challenges.

Mr Adedokun pledged BPP’s support to NHIA, particularly in capacity building, public sensitisation, and enforcement of reforms to revive public confidence in the national health insurance scheme.

Earlier, Mr Ohiri said that the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the partnership with BPP in line with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s agenda for healthcare renewal.

He outlined some of the reforms undertaken by NHIA, including the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and a 95 per cent upward review of provider tariffs and hospital capitation.

He said that NHIA issued circulars to health management organisations for improved response to enrolees, introduced a PR Code to guide enrolees on their benefit packages and enforced mandatory enrolment of MDAs in the scheme.

Mr Ohiri solicited BPP’s support in training procurement staff and building institutional knowledge to ensure compliance and effective implementation of reforms in the health sector.

Both agencies pledged to sustain collaboration in the interest of transparency, accountability and improved access to healthcare services across the country.

(NAN)