NHIS and universal health coverage
My thrill was further increased by the large entourage that graced the occasion. The President was represented by the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu. Also in attendance were Dr. Ali Pate, the Minister of State for Health and former Minister of Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, amongst other dignitaries. I instantly recalled the official take-off […]
My thrill was further increased by the large entourage that graced the occasion. The President was represented by the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu. Also in attendance were Dr. Ali Pate, the Minister of State for Health and former Minister of Health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, amongst other dignitaries.
I instantly recalled the official take-off of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Nigeria on July 6, 2005 which was greeted with scepticism because this was a project that had been in the cooler for many years. And again, I doubted if Nigerians were conversant with, or ready for a social security system that guarantees the provision of needed health services upon payment of a token contribution at regular intervals. Already, because of the general perception of it as wishing oneself ill-luck by anticipating any form of illness that will warrant a visit to the hospital.
I specifically chose to write this piece out of excitement because of the impact the Community-Based Social Health Insurance package will have on our health sector, especially with the realization that the large majorities within the population are in rural areas and excluded from other forms of social security systems.
As of today, statistics indicate that the NHIS has programmes to suit the various socio-economic groups in the country. Aside the Formal Sector Programme for federal civil servants-launched at the inception of the scheme, there is the recently launched Community-Based Social Health Insurance Package for rural dwellers across the federation and the Voluntary-Contributors’ Health Insurance Package designed to supplement the Community-Based Social Health Insurance package in line with global trends. There is also the Tertiary Students Social Health Insurance programme that has been providing financial protection and health cover for over two hundred and fifty thousand students in tertiary institutions across the country. I understand health insurance programmes for NYSC members and retirees are in the pipeline. Given all these initiatives, one can expect that universal health coverage for Nigerians might just be around the corner and that, in my opinion, is worth celebrating.
The NHIS has elicited global attention for Nigeria in recent times with two important awards; a merit award by the International Social Security Association for best health practices in the African region and membership of the Joint Learning Network, in recognition of their efforts to implement health financing reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage. The Joint Learning Network is a platform financed by the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation amongst a host of other international agencies.
The NHIS has also accredited over 7,000 Healthcare facilities; comprising primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare providers and over 50 Health Maintenance Organizations with a robust Information Technology Platform known as E-NHIS to improve its operations.
The Tertiary Students Health Insurance Programme (TSHIP) is another initiative worth commending because most students of tertiary institutions in the country as earlier mentioned are beneficiaries of the TSHIP platform. This is especially fascinating because when one juxtaposes the challenges most students in our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education undergo in the quest for quality education and a thought of paying out-of-pocket for their health needs, one will readily agree that the TSHIP platform if fully harnessed could potentially serve as the required panacea for attaining a healthier developing workforce for the country. This really explains my satisfaction with the activities of the NHIS.
Closely following is the proposed health cover for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and also that for retirees in the country. In my opinion, the above two will also critically address a sensitive section of the populace, which can also be classified under the vulnerable group because we are conversant with the hopelessness that retirees face after many years of service to the country. These retirees are people between the ages of 60 and above. And to initiate a healthcare coverage package that will cater to the needs of our elderly ones is utterly brilliant.
The NHIS management headed by Dr Waziri Dogo-Muhammad, should be commended if not for anything but the expression of foresight and creativity as they relate to the workings of the various programmes launched and those on the verge of being launched. I think we can achieve universal health coverage by 2015. Little wonder that former president, Obasanjo at a recent forum remarked that, “if the NHIS is up and doing today, it is because Dogo-Mohammed has done what others failed to do.”
Joshua Ocheja, [email protected]