Sokoto health insurance hangs in the balance over Islamic position

Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal is to consult with intellectual and Islamic leaders about the position of Islam on health insurance before the state becomes a part of devolved health insurance scheme. It came in the same week Benue state governor Samuel Ortom declared the state’s “immediate subscription” to the State Supported Social Health Insurance […]

Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal is to consult with intellectual and Islamic leaders about the position of Islam on health insurance before the state becomes a part of devolved health insurance scheme.

It came in the same week Benue state governor Samuel Ortom declared the state’s “immediate subscription” to the State Supported Social Health Insurance Programme (SSHIP) after both governors met with National Health Insurance Scheme acting executive secretary Femi Akingbade.

In talks with Akingbade, Tambuwal said people in Sokoto were still hesitant about accepting health insurance because of cultural and religious sensitivities.

He said once consultations with religious and intellectual scholars end, Sokoto would be willing to run SSHIP.

Decentralised health

Akingbade said SSHIP is its attempt to decentralise health insurance by encouraging state governments to assume responsibility for providing health cover for their citizens.

Sokoto, where community-based health insurance is already on, and Benue are the latest states whose governors NHIS has engaged in its drive to spread SSHIP.

“The status of health as an item on the Concurrent Legislative List has continued to be a major hindrance to rapid penetration of health insurance in the country, as states are not bound to legislations and policies on health matters by the federal government,” said Akingbade in separate talks with Ortom.

NHIS put up SSHIP to allay concerns about states hesitant to releasing their funds to a federal government central pool, said Akingbade.

SSHIP would allow states have a single pool of funds domiciled in the state while NHIS will provide counterpart finance to match the funds.

Already the NHIS has drafted legal framework that governors can present to state assemblies to help pass a state-supported health insurance programme into law, considering social, economic and cultural peculiarities of individual states.