NHIs to Go Online, Plans to Extend Coverage to NYSC Members

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will soon go online via the e-NHIS, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to bring efficiency and effectiveness in the management of scheme's healthcare services in the country.

This was disclosed by the Deputy General Manager, NHIS Lagos State Office, Ikeja, Mrs. Aisha Abubakar Haruna, during a stakeholders' forum that was organised recently in Ikeja by the state office of the NHIS for "Men in Uniform" in Lagos State.

Haruna said: "The e-NHIS, which will be launched very soon will greatly provide efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of healthcare services to Nigerians.

"The e-NHIS is 90 per cent completed and will be launched very soon. The ICT facilities for this project have already been deployed across the State Health Insurance Agencies (SHIAs.

"There is going to be a one-stop approach for all scheme's activities, which will be online real-time.

'We are trying to see how we can reduce, and if possible, eliminate, the discrimination and challenges that NHIS' enrollees are facing when accessing healthcare services.

"We are not exonerating ourselves as the regulatory body, as we also have some challenges and we are trying to improve and get better.

"But I must tell you the current management of NHIS under the leadership of Professor Mohammed Nasir Sambo, has engaged so much in collaboration not only with stakeholders in the Health Insurance Business but with all concerned."

She also stated that the management of the NHIS have had series of engagements with the drug manufacturing companies for the production of branded drugs for the NHIS, adding that "collaboration is ongoing with ROCHE and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to manufacture cancer drugs" for the NHIS.

She also said that a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was recently signed with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to extend health insurance coverage to youth corps members during their service year.

Haruna, therefore, enjoined "all Nigerians to pray for presidential assent on the bill making health insurance mandatory. This step will help pull in the numbers in enrollment, funding and ultimately increase the benefits package of the scheme, which is aimed at achieving universal health coverage."

She stated that the NHIS has been working assiduously with its stakeholders like the Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), the Healthcare Providers (HCPAN), and enrollees amongst others to improve the quality of services provided to Nigerians.

She stated that the stakeholders' forum was organised specially for members of Nigeria' military: the Army, the Navy, and the Airforce as well as members of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Nigeria Police, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the GIFSHIP Enrollees.

There was also a drama display by the Ikeja State Office Staff during the stakeholders' forum that showcased some of the challenges of the scheme.

The drama was followed by a panel of discussion drawn from the representatives of the stakeholders present to discuss the challenges and ways of eliminating such.

In addition, a team of medical personnel from the Ikeja State Office provided free medical screenings for blood sugar, high blood pressure and health educational counseling etc.

Some of the notable guests at the event included Lt. Col. A.T. Odeh, who represented the Corps Commander Medical, Army Head Quarters, Lagos; Ag. Chief Medical Director, 68, Nig. Army Reference Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Col. Solomon O. Showunmi; the Commander, 661 Nigeria Air Force Hospital, Air Commander Chukwuka; the Commissioner of Police, Administration, Mr. Sam Bassey Ewan, who was represented by Inspector Gloria Uchenna.

Other attendees included the Deputy Controller of Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja, Dr. Bello Kehinde; HCPAN President, Dr. Jimmy Arigbabuwo; Head Police Cottage Hospital, Ikeja, CSP (Dr). Abosede Salami; Lagos State Manager, Defence HMO, Dr. Omokhuakele moduoe; the GM, NHIS Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Femi Akingbade who was represented by Deputy General Manager, NHIS, Mrs. Rita Chukwu; MD/ CEO, Wellness HMO, Mrs. Adetutu Afolabi; DGM, Formal Sector, NHIS, Abuja, Mrs. Misari lbiam and the NHIS State Coordinator, Yaba, and Host of other notable dignitaries, Mrs. Catherine Tanzamado.

The Deputy General Manager of NHIS, Dr. Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, used the event to sensitise stakeholders that patients with evidence of being enrolled in the NHIS should not be turned away from NHIS accredited facilities in times of emergency either because the patients do not have their evidence of registration under the scheme or at a medical facility not covered by their preferred HMO.

Abraham said that the proper thing to do would be to call their HMO to ascertain that they were truly enrolled under the NHIS.