By: Mukhtar Yahaya Shehu
In a bid to strengthen transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency in the management of health funds, the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND) has successfully conducted a 2-day In-House Refresher Course on the Roles of Administration, Accounting, and Auditing Procedures in KHETFUND Operations
In her opening remarks, Dr. Fatima Usman Zahraddeen, the Executive Secretary of KHETFUND, emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards of financial management in the health sector. “Sound administration and financial accountability are the bedrock of sustainable health financing. This refresher course is designed to realign our professionals with best practices and evolving standards in fund management.”
The Executive Secretary further highlighted that the course is part of her agency’s broader initiative to promote sound financial management in the health sector. “With increasing demands on public health resources, it is crucial that all actors involved are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills to manage health finances effectively.”
In a statement signed by public relations officer DMSCA Faruk Isa Musa Dr. Fatima Zahraddin S
restated the determination of Kano State Government, headed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to continue prioritizing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in health financing, noting that the training course is part of ongoing capacity-building efforts by KHETFUND aimed at improving the governance of public health financing mechanisms and ensuring that resources allocated for healthcare delivery reach intended beneficiaries.
“Many of the issues affecting health fund performance stem from knowledge gaps or misapplication of procedures. Through continuous training and refresher programs, we can significantly improve fund utilization and the delivery of critical health services,” Dr. Fatima Usman Zahraddeen asserted.
On his part, the Director Admin and General Services Alh. Abubakar Bala, said the objectives of the program include: to understand the concept of work ethics and productivity and apply it to KHETFUND operations, to understand the current and emerging trends in account and audit, and to apply delegation and team-building to improve KHETFUND operations.
He added that other objectives are to understand the financial management procedures in KHETFUND operations, to understand administrative procedures related to KHETFUND operations, and to understand how to utilize effective internal control for efficient service delivery in KHETFUND operations.
The intensive training that brought together key stakeholders, including health professionals, administrators, finance officers, and auditors, was supported by the Center for Health Economics, System Development, and Analytics (CHESDA), and held at KHETFUND conference hall. It featured a combination of question and answer sessions and group exercises to ensure real-world application of skills learned.
During the sessions, the facilitators made presentations on key topics including, the work ethics and productivity in KHETFUND operations, creating awareness of the ethics and regulatory environment of public accounting, and understanding of the current and emerging trends in accounting and auditing.
Other key topics covered are the role of internal audit in the internal control system, administrative procedures, as well as delegation and team building for effective performance, among others.
At the end of the event, the participants expressed satisfaction with the quality and relevance of the course, highlighting the need for periodic refresher sessions to adapt to evolving operational frameworks.
