Over two hundred thousand people have been enrolled into the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme FHIS.
Director of the scheme Dr. Mohammed Ahmed-Danfulani who announced this at the comimmoration of Universal Health coverage Day said more vulnerable and poor masses in communities are in the process of enrollment into the health insurance scheme.
One of the 17 sustainabled evelopment goals adopted by the united nations is the provision of a universal health coverage.
The goal of universal health coverage is to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them.
This requires a strong, efficient, well-run health system, a system for financing health services, access to essential medicines and technologies, a sufficient capacity of well-trained and motivated health workers.
A coalition of more than seven hundred organizations in one hundred and sixteen countries mark 12 December as Universal Health Coverage to draw the attention of world leaders to deliver on promises to achieve universal health coverage.
At a sensitisation rally in Abuja, Nigeria to mark the day, the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme FHIS says, protecting residents of capital city by providing mandatory, qualitative and affordable Health coverage is a core priority of the agency.
According to the Director Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme FHIS Dr. Mohammed Ahmed-Danfulani “in FCT we are already enrolling the poor and vulnerable and this is going to be funded by the federal government and i think that is positive development as money is going to be made available every year”.
Dr. Ahmed-Danfulani while urging local and states governments to domesticate the health insurance scheme for all Nigerians said there will be an enforcement mechanism that will ensure that every body is captured in the scheme.
“The review law for the NHIS is almost at the final stage and it is clearly stated there that, health insurance becomes mandatory for all Nigerians, and so there will be no excuses for any body not to be on health insurance scheme”. Dr Ahmed-Danfulani emphasized.
He added that ” for those who can not pay, efforts are being made through the equity funds in all state social insurance scheme and basic health care provision funds and the NHIS so that all Nigerians will be covered in the scheme”.
The theme for the 2020 Universal Health coverage day is ‘health for all, protect everyone’.
Lateefah Ibrahim
