Federal Civil Servants Enjoy Health Insurance

The National Health Insur ance Scheme (NHIS) has covered 95 per cent of federal employees since the inception of the programme six years ago, according to the Executive Secretary of the scheme, Mr Waziri Dogo-Muhammad,

“Within six years of the official flag-off of the NHIS, it has covered 95 per cent of the Federal employees and has continuously been fine-tuning its operational mechanisms’’, Dogo-Muhammad said at a meeting on healthcare facilities of the scheme on Monday in Abuja.

He explained that the success achieved by the NHIS in that sector had led to demand by many groups for extension to the community level, especially the vulnerable groups.

“Realising the vast size of the informal sector in the country, the scheme has developed a blueprint for the implementation of Community-Based Social Health Insurance Programme.“The programme will be flagged off in about 37 pilot cities across the country on October  20, 2011.

“Another key programme developed and about to commence is the Voluntary Contributor Programme which will cater for self employed Nigerians. “This will also be flagged off on December 16, 2011,’’he said.

Dogo-Muhammad noted that the universal cover would not be achieved until the vulnerable groups were catered for.

“This can only be achieved, however, when adequate financial resources are provided to address the needed subsidy,’’ he said.