Pupils in public primary schools in Nigeria will soon enjoy free
\nhealthcare at all levels, under a special arrangement currently receiving
\nfinishing touches by technocrats of the National Health Insurance Scheme
\n(NHIS).<\/p>\n
The Executive Secretary of the Scheme, Dr. Femi Thomas made this known
\nduring an advocacy visit to the Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore
\nOrji, in Umuahia, recently.<\/p>\n
He described this initiative as one the strategies being developed by the
\nScheme towards the timely and unfailing attainment of universal health
\ncoverage in the country.<\/p>\n
Dr. Thomas appealed to Governor Orji to make health insurance mandatory in
\nhis state, as a significant step in the promotion of health insurance as a
\nsocial solidarity, by which those with financial capacity\u00a0 make provision
\nfor those who cannot afford to pay for healthcare.<\/p>\n
According to him, the comprehensive digital process of registering the
\nprimary school children in the exercise is being finalised by the Scheme,
\nso as to ensure that the integrity of the registration process is
\npreserved through transparency and total inclusion.<\/p>\n
He noted that the Scheme would bear the total cost of the programme for
\nthe initial year, after which the state governments would be required to
\nprovide sixty percent of the funding, while the Scheme would bring up the
\nbalance of forty percent. This is to guarantee the sustainability of the
\nprogramme.<\/p>\n
Thomas hinted at the occasion, that at the expiration of the NHIS\/MDGs
\nspecial intervention for Maternal and Child Health in 2015, pregnant women
\nin the benefiting states will continue to enjoy free healthcare
\nnationwide, with the scheme bearing the cost for the first three years.<\/p>\n
He therefore urged the Governor to ensure the participation of his state
\nin the programme, as a political bonus before the expiration of the
\nprogramme in 2015.<\/p>\n
Responding, Governor Theodore Orji explained that his administration
\noperates a two-point agenda of Security and Health, which underlines his
\nrecognition\u00a0 of health as a strategic component of the human capital
\nprofile in any society.<\/p>\n
Further to this, he gave the cheering news that he has directed that Abia
\nstate workforce in the seventeen Local Government Areas be integrated into
\nNHIS, adding that to demonstrate commitment, the state government has
\nalready engaged six HMOs to actualise\u00a0 the objective.<\/p>\n
The Governor, who gave the assurance that Abia state will fold into the
\nNHIS\/MDGs MCH programme under his administration, also promised to make
\navailable a piece of land, following a request by the Scheme, for the
\ndevelopment of the state office of NHIS in Umuahia.<\/p>\n
The NHIS team was received by a high powered delegation of the Abia state
\ngovernment, led by the Governor and included the Deputy Governor and
\nmembers of the state Executive Council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pupils in public primary schools in Nigeria will soon enjoy free healthcare at all levels, under a special arrangement currently receiving finishing touches by technocrats of the National Health Insurance…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n