Centenary: NHIS to fund treatment of tertiary diseases

As part of the activities marking the nation’s centenary, the authorities of the National Health Insurance Scheme have approved some funds to take care of some tertiary and super-tertiary diseases before the end of the year.

The diseases include cancer, and others that affect the bone, kidney and heart, among others.

Speaking to journalists during the accreditation of facilities preparatory to the massive enrolment of Nigerians on the scheme scheduled for later this year, the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Dr. Femi Thomas, said the scheme would fund 100 open heart surgeries and major cardiac interventions, 100 major cancer cases, 100 major orthopaedic cases and 100 major renal cases across the country.

“This provides a window of opportunities for those who are enrolled in the health insurance scheme to benefit from the processes. It will also provide an opportunity for the state to subsidise the cost of care for those in the vulnerable group who, otherwise, would not have been able to afford such medical interventions,” Thomas said.

He expressed the hope that the NHIS would develop some programmes that would cover more people as time goes on.

He also noted that in order to ensure a successful universal coverage, President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the NHIS to enroll 30 per cent Nigerians by 2015.

However, Thomas said, “We have decided in-house to go beyond this, as we are working towards having 70.8 million Nigerians enrolled in the scheme, translating into 40 per cent of the entire population.”

Thomas lamented that currently, enrollees are still few, compared to the total population, with a little less than 10 per cent so far enrolled in the scheme, hence the need to make it compulsory if everybody must be covered.

He said, “The health insurance coverage is currently less than 10 per cent of the entire population, but in order to make Nigerians enjoy universal health coverage, health insurance would become compulsory as provided for in the Health Bill.”

Concerning the provisions of the Health Bill with regard to the National Health Insurance Scheme, Thomas said once the President assents to it, one per cent consolidated fund would be made available to the NHIS to work with.