In Nigeria, a huge gap in management skills amongst healthcare professional was recognized. Therefore, PharmAccess collaborated with EDC to develop the HMP to help close this knowledge gap. Mrs. Njide Ndili, country Director of PharmAccess, emphasized the need for management skills in order to ensure a profitable business in the healthcare system. “PharmAccess has run several programs in the healthcare space in Nigeria but we have come to realize working with hospitals and other health organization that there is a knowledge gap in the industry and so PharmAccess has set up this program to close that gap”.
HMP was designed to teach healthcare professionals about financial management, co-operate governance, understanding their operating environment, quality, operations and the policies that affect their businesses. The HMP covers the core aspects of the practice of healthcare; policies that affect the practice of healthcare in Nigeria, the business of healthcare, quality in healthcare and the role of technology and innovation in the future of healthcare.
The program is available to anybody that has any activity on the healthcare value chain. Ndili states: ‘’It is very important to know that the tuition for this first cohort of the HMP is subsidized by 50 percent by PharmAccess, that means we have paid 50 percent of their tuition just to help encourage people to learn. This is kind of the value we adding to healthcare space in Nigeria and indeed West Africa.’’
The HMP program is a four-month certificate course, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria. On 13 December, the first cohort of the program began (HMP 1). A total of 41 participants were enrolled and present for the program. The second cohort of the HMP will commence in July 2018.
The HMP program was partly funded with UK aid from the UK government through the TA Facility of the CDC Impact Fund which has invested in the Medical Credit Fund.
