3,800 staff, students covered by NHIS at Unilorin ― Management

NO fewer than 3,800 members of staff and students of the University of Ilorin have been covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Dr AbdulRasheed Odunola, Director of Health Services, University of Ilorin, made the disclosure at a symposium organised by Offa Students’ Union (OSU), University of Ilorin Chapter, on Tuesday in Ilorin.

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NAN also reports that NHIS is one of the social security schemes established by the Federal Government to subsidise and promote healthcare delivery in the country.

Through the scheme, the government bears cost of consultation and 90 per cent cost of drugs for treating each patient in registered hospitals, clinics and maternity centres, while the patient pays the remaining 10 per cent.

Odunola, while commending the Federal Government for the initiative and its commitment to the health of the nation’s workforce, charged state governments to emulate the Federal Government in order to bridge the healthcare service delivery gap.

In his remarks, Prof. Bayo Lawal, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the university, advised students to pay greater attention to their education, maintaining that knowledge acquisition remained the bedrock of success in life.

On the state of education in Nigeria, Lawal said that quality education was achievable in the country, especially under the atmosphere of good governance.

The former deputy vice-chancellor urged the institution’s students to aspire for leadership, noting that an individual must be known for something positive in order to be recognised by the people.