Key players in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme are strategizing on improved and accessible health insurance to all residents.
At a two-day quarterly stakeholders engagement in Abuja, Health care providers, Health Maintenance Organisations, HMOs, who are managing payments for the patients, and private medical Doctors are concerned about blocking leakages and optimistic about success.
Addressing the stakeholders, the FCT Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, HHSS, Dr. Noel Haruna stressed the importance of health insurance for the attainment of universal health coverage.
Represented by Mr. Mathew Ashikeni, the HHSS, noted “the determination of FCT Health Insurance for making the scheme functional and accessible for all residents of the FCT.”
The Director, FCT Health Insurance Scheme Dr. Ahmed Danfulani was optimistic that engagement with stakeholders would impact the scheme and benefit the people.
While giving a review of implementation performance on enrollment and quality assurance, the Deputy Director Operations of FCT Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Amina Zakari said enrollment in the FCT has increased by over 150, 000 in recent times.
Dr. Zakari attributed the increase in enrollment to media sensitisation and expanding engagement with HMOs.
She said; “I will attribute that increase, which as of recently because of our media engagement, you know, we had this media roundtable, and then later we had about two-day training with them. So because we have now expanded our horizon, the media are now in it. So at every point in time, they have the opportunity, they speak to the public about the health insurance.”
Dr. Zakari, who identified the lack of autonomy of the scheme and out of stock of drugs among challenges, noted the scheme, would do better if it is autonomous.
“The important thing for us is to have our bill passed. That is to say, we have the legal backing. So, if we do have that legal backing, we will be autonomous, and then the sky will be our limit,” she added.
One of the Health Maintenance Organisations, HMO who is managing payments for the patients, Dr. Idowu Adesoji of United Healthcare called for political and stakeholder support in addressing the challenges of funding and abuse of the scheme.
He also suggested regulatory compliance.
“I think on this kind of program on this platform, we’ll be able to really strategize and know where we’re going. I think for me, we can get a good decision to get health insurance to the next level,” Dr Adesoji.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
