By Talatu Maiwada
Owerri – The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) says it is committed to the delivery of optimal health care services to all Nigerians.
Malam Attahiru Ibrahim, the Acting Executive Secretary of the scheme, said this on Thursday in Owerri, at the NHIS Forum for Commissioners for Health in the state across the federation.
Ibrahim said: “NHIS, in accordance with its statutory mandate and commitment to its social responsibilities, recognises enrollees as the central figure of the health insurance practice.
“The scheme is determined to ensure that more Nigerians are enrolled under the scheme at all levels of government and for each enrollee to enjoy prompt and quality health care.
He said that the forum was aimed at building consensus among the commissioners and other stakeholders toward the attainment of universal health coverage in the country.
“That is why we have brought together key stakeholders at the state level to adopt the scheme in their various states, thereby bringing health insurance nearer to the people,” he added.
The executive secretary said that the scheme had also developed programmes to suit the various segments of the Nigerian society.
He listed the programmes as Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programmes (FSSHIP) and the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programmes (TISHIP).
Others are: Community Based Social Health Insurance Programmes (CBSHIP), and the Maternal and Child Health Programmes (MCHP) which is aimed at reducing the very poor maternal and child health indices in Nigeria.
Ibrahim said that the programmes had witnessed several degrees of success as well as challenges.
“However, the scheme is sacrosanct in providing easy access to health care for all,” he said. (NAN)