Dr Anthony Diogu, the chief medical director, Gesse Meridian Clinic, Gessee phase 1 Birnin kebbi, had expressed that he's operating KECHEMA at his private medical facility since KECHEMA started more than two years ago. The facility is among the private medical facilities that meets the standards to operate KECHEMA services in Kebbi state for now.
Dr Anthony told Newsmen during media tour organised by the office of KECHEMA Public relations officer, Mansur Danjuma Senchi, to some facilities operating KECHEMA services in the state that;
"We have more than five hundred enrolees . We also operate both primary and secondary services of KECHEMA here. People use to refer to us. If it is serious, we now convert them to secondary all we need to do is to call KECHEMA, once they give us go ahead, we now convert them to secondary care.
In terms of seccesses, it is a two way team. Both the people been attended to, and the hospital itself. Coming to the people we attended to, every body is happy.
You see whereby a poor man is not having the money for services, but KECHEMA has made it possible to get the best services ever you can think of. And the poor man is happy.
You also see where the rich man that has the money, but he doesn't know where to get the best services. When he comes to this place, he is very happy either way, every body is winning.
It made the hospital one of the best, In the sense that you are serving the people of the state. You have to keep yourself abreast, because everybody is also submitting report back to KECHEMA. That means, you have to make sure you are the best amongst the best. If not your clients will pool out. If they're not getting what they want they will go. Sofar we've recorded 100% success for the time being" He said.
Dr Anthony lamented that some of the obstacles they face during serving the people include interpersonal relationships, some people have small temper, and they're trained to handle these kind of patients kindly. Others include, inflation affecting price of drugs by large from the actual price they use to buy the drugs previously.
He said some of the drugs are not available in the market here in Birnin kebbi, so they had to order these drugs from Lagos.
'"So what we usually do, the essential drugs, where we can get them we make sure we stock them, and keep them, because when time comes, we might need them because at a time you're looking for them you might not see them. Peradventure you see them, they're very expensive" He said.
He said interms of the lab in the facility, they're able to do some of the tests, but there are some that require sophisticated equipments of which they've not graduated to. He said some of these machines range in millions.
Dr Anthony appealed to KECHEMA to increase the capitation given to them. He explained that that it is the number of clients that determine the money they have.
" KECHEMA is just starting, we've not covered enough ground to cover many clients, the truth is that, one patient can finish like half of what the patient present with, the drug you buy today at N5 when you go tomorrow you find it like N50 for example. If there's anyway like drug revolving fund, KECHEMA will help in a way to cushion the effect of the drug price, it will go a long way to reduce the price. Meanwhile, we're very grateful to KECHEMA. Actually, they pay us at when due, they don't delay in payment" He said.
While conducting Newsmen round the facility, the hospital appears very well kept and very organized. Equipped with alternate, standard solar power fitting that has the capacity to serve the facility with electricity 24/7.
Other facilities visited include PHC Makera, PHC Augie, PHC Bubuche, PHC Argungu, PHC Kardi, PHC Ambursa, General Hospital Zauro, PHC Badariya, PHC Takalau, PHC Nassarawa 1, and PHC Gwadangaji amongst others .
In charge of the various facilities lamented on virtually similar success, complain, and urge KECHEMA to increase their capitation considering the economic reality experienced in all quarters due to inflation.