FG, Stakeholders move to re-position NHIS

In a move to reposition the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), stakeholders in the health sector are brainstorming in Abuja on how to reposition the scheme for optimal performance.

The Global Alliance for UHC in Nigeria (UHC-Nigeria 2025, gathered the stakeholders, which include in government, Health Management Organisation (HMO), management of NHIS and other relevant bodies to in a roundtable discussion, with a theme “the future of NHIS.”

In his speech, the Acting Executive Secretary of NHIS, Mallam Ibrahim Atahiru, said the health outcomes of Nigeria, which are proxy measures for the health of the nation are poor, adding that just like most other developing countries, Nigeria is struggling to address its poor health indices which are worsened by rising poverty levels in the country.

According to him, achieving UHC requires a strategic framework in form of action plans with clear objective and targets.

He said: “Central to this is the consideration of challenging issues like funding, the dearth of human and infrastructural resources and general administration of health in Nigeria.

“It is envisaged that this workshop will provide the platform to discuss these and articulate strategies that will assist NHIS in its onerous task of achieving UHC.”

Mallam Atahiru, however, stated that the NHIS would pursue its UHC mandate through the mobilisation of extra resources, which is allocated through the states’ pools to subsidise coverage for the poor and vulnerable persons.

He emphasised that the NHIS would as well promote and regulate these scheme to ensure uniformity across the country.

Also speaking, former Executive Secretary of NHIS, Dr Dogo Mohammed, said the law that established the Organisation has given room for a problem by making the programme voluntary, while at the same time it said everybody as a matter of right, should be covered.

He said: “So you say it is voluntary and everybody must be covered and you know that it is a contribution. How many people will agree to voluntarily contribute.

“That is a fundamental problem. Unless it is made compulsory, you cannot get universal coverage. But then, you say, you need it to be mandatory, you know fully well that about 60% of Nigerians live below poverty line, less than two dollars per day, who pay their contributions.

“Then it becomes the responsibility of the government to pay for that contribution since it has promulgated a law that NHIS is compulsory, the government must pay for them because they can’t afford it.  This is where the problem is coming. The government knows fully well that they don’t have the resources To actually pay for those who are living below poverty lines.”

On how to finance the scheme since every Nigerian must be covered, he said, “the Federal workers are not contributing up till today. Federal government employees are not paying. It is the Federal Government that is given 10%, the five per cent that they are supposed to be paying from their salaries is not been deducted. This is supposed to be just for two years, a moratorium of two years, 2007 to 2009 and now is 2017, they have not yet paid.

“The NLC is saying no, we will not pay this is Federal government employees where we have covered up to 98% they are now challenging the system because they don’t fill the pinch.”

Also speaking on the delay in government decision on the investigation of the suspended NHIS boss, he stated that it is left for those advising the president to constantly remind him that Nigerians are waiting for his decision on the investigation.