Pharmaceutical Companies, Technology Affecting Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria – BHIS

The management of Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) has lamented over inability of Nigeria to control pharmaceutical companies and technology, saying any country that does not have control over there pharmaceutical companies and technology cannot achieve Universal Health coverage. Daily Trust recalls that some patients and those enrolled in the BHIS have been complaining […]

The management of Bayelsa State Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) has lamented over inability of Nigeria to control pharmaceutical companies and technology, saying any country that does not have control over there pharmaceutical companies and technology cannot achieve Universal Health coverage.

Daily Trust recalls that some patients and those enrolled in the BHIS have been complaining of the shortage of drugs in the hospitals in the state recently, but the management ascribed it to inflation.

Speaking with members of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel (FCC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa State Council during the Correspondents’ Forum Media interactions, the Executive Secretary of Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Zuoboemi Agadah, said, any countries that does not have control over pharmaceutical companies and technology cannot achieve Universal Health coverage.

He said many countries that achieved universal health coverage have control over their inflation, explaining that such achievement is difficult in a free fall economy as it currently practicable in Nigeria.

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He said: “While the inflation’s is high, the deductions still remain what we were deducting since 2017 to 2024. How do we cope? The issues of inflation, pharmaceutical companies, technologies and others are posing serious Challenges, but we are still rendering the same quality services.

“While we face inflation and high cost of drugs and others, we cannot tell the people that are contributing to contribute more. As the inflation is high the hospitals are also telling us that what we are paying them can no longer obtainable. When we designed this program in 2017, drug like Augmentin was less than N1000 but as at 2024, it is about N25,000 while some are even selling it for N30,000. No government can manage this type of thing.

“We are planning to setup a Central Drugs Distribution system, drugs management organization, so that they can get direct drugs from major distribution centers or direct from manufacturers.

“Firstly, the drugs will be cheaper, secondly, all of us are sure of quality, so that any drugs that gives problems, we know who is to hold responsible. Not that every vendors will be supplying drugs at his own cost and the rest, if we achieve this, all our hospitals will go there to get drugs in the state.

“Presently, our challenge is, we still need more money so that we can take care of more people.

“Currently, we have over two hundred thousand enrollees in there data from 2017 to 2024 out of which over one hundred thousand are civil servants while the rest comes from informal sectors.

“Civil servants pay 2 percent from their salaries while those in informal sectors pay N2000 monthly which totally N24,000 a year. When you come into the BHIS, we don’t bother about your status or financial state. We equalize everybody for the benefits,” he said.

He disclosed that BHIS has 203 accredited hospitals, 97 hospitals and 106 health centers across the state.