First cohort of graduates from the Health Management Program

The first cohort of 41 participants graduated from the Health Management Program developed by PharmAccess Foundation and Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University on Friday December 8, 2018.

PharmAccess Foundation has been catalyzing the health markets in Nigeria for over 11 years. In that time, the foundation has designed and implemented various initiatives in the demand as well as the supply sides leading to visible improvement of the healthcare systems in the states and businesses that it supports. Through the Medical Credit Fund, it has provided technical assistance to banks and facilitated the provision of loans to about 400 healthcare businesses amounting to over $5.5 million.

In the course of its work, the PharmAccess realized the need to build the capacity of healthcare providers to run their businesses as profitable entities. This is why it partnered with a reputable institution like Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University to design and deploy the Health Management Program (HMP). The HMP is a blended learning certificate program that is designed to teach healthcare providers about the business of healthcare. With a robust curriculum and a faculty that consists of seasoned local and international healthcare and business professionals, the HMP provides immense value to the attendees. PharmAccess subsidized the tuition fees for the participants graduating today by 50%. This was done in partnership with Commonwealth Development Centre (CDC), UK. PharmAccess also engaged its partner banks, Diamond Bank and Sterling Bank to provide support for the program with the aim of making it more affordable to healthcare professionals all over Nigeria.

The first cohort of the program commenced in December 2017 with 41 participants from the public and private sectors of the healthcare system. Participants came from Lagos, Owerri, Asaba, Warri, Enugu, Calabar, and Awka. The second cohort commenced in September 2018 with participants from other cities like Ilorin and Abuja. This signifies a high level of acceptance of the program by healthcare professionals in Nigeria. According to one of the participants in the first cohort, Dr. Babatunde Olujobi, “Doctors are not taught about business in medical school and this program is one of the best things that has happened in the healthcare in Nigeria recent times. The Healthcare sector will remember PharmAccess positively for this.”

Through its robust network and diverse activities, PharmAccess has provided participants in both cohorts of the HMP immense opportunities to partner with Lagos and Delta States to operate health facilities under a public-private partnership arrangement. This is in line with its vision to strengthen the health systems in Nigeria through an integrated approach.

In her message to the graduands, the Country Director of PharmAccess Foundation, Mrs. Njide Ndili said, “On this day, as we graduate the first cohort of 41 participants, we urge them to become our healthcare ambassadors for good business practices and to carry your knowledge forward to others in their establishment. We also welcome more partners to support us in our efforts and in making this healthcare business training a prerequisite to running a healthcare facility, so that many more healthcare professionals can become beneficiaries of it. What started as a dream in our minds to help build capacity in a structure system has become reality.

From all of us at PharmAccess Group, we congratulate you as you go forth. We remain committed to supporting you as we build our healthcare industry together.”