UHC: Health commissioners to partner NHIS

UHC: Health commissioners to partner NHIS
NAN-HG-5
Insurance
By Talatu Maiwada
Owerri, Nov. 2, 2017 (NAN) State Commissioners for Health and other stakeholders on Thursday commended the efforts of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on the on-going forum organised on State Social Health Insurance Programmes.
The stakeholders, who made the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri, sought partnership with the NHIS to enable states own, drive and sustain their health insurance scheme.
Dr Abduljalil Abdullahi, the Katsina State Commissioner for Health, commended the effort of NHIS, adding that Katsina state was making effort to key into the scheme by 2018.
“I commend the NHIS for organising this forum and I believe that with the level of engagement and further partnership we will commence our insurance programme by 2018.
“We have a draft law and we intend to make it an executive bill through the state Ministry of Health after which it would get to the executive council then to the state assembly.
“We intend to have a trust fund alongside the pool for the agency for its sustainability, because virtually all states receive below 50 per cent of the recommended budgetary approval,” Abdullahi said.
Dr Angela Uwakwem, Special Adviser to Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Health, also commended the effort of the NHIS in ensuring that all stakeholders scale up and improve access to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the states.
“This is very important because the Imo state government is ensuring that the Imo state health insurance bill presently before the state House of Assembly will be passed very soon.
“In Imo state, we hope to set the pace in establishing the social health insurance programme, thereby providing affordable healthcare for the poor and vulnerable group,’’ said the aide.
Dr Shola Akande, the Acting Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme (OYSHIS), said the state has an enabling law accented to by the governor on Dec. 1, 2016.
Akande said the scheme was launched on May 25, with 8,500 residents enrolled under the programme.
“The highlight of our law in Oyo state is that the programme was made mandatory for every resident both in the formal and informal sector.
“We started off with advocacy and enlightenment programmes to change the attitude and orientation of the people towards health insurance, while encouraging them to see the benefit of the scheme,’’ Akande said.
He called on the NHIS to provide financial support and partnership in strengthening the State Social Health Insurance Programmes (SSHIP). (NAN)
TIM/IFY/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Omowole/Muhammad Suleiman Tola