NHIS: DIG Urges Patronage Of Clinic

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Administration), Mr Azubuko Udah, has called on members of the force to patronise its clinic to benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Udah gave the advice to the officers and men in an interview with newsmen in Aba, Abia, on Tuesday.

He said that most of them, particularly those on transfer, were not benefiting from the NHIS because they had not taken advantage of the police clinic across the country to access healthcare delivery in their new station.

“When you patronise the police clinic while on transfer, your hospital file can easily be transferred along with you on demand to the new station,’’ Udah said.

According to him, the police authority has engaged the services of the NYSC for the clinic at Aba, Abia, which is already functioning with the support staff.

He, however, said that the police clinics were not only for the personnel, stressing that other members of the public could also access the facility.

Udah said that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, had taken adequate care of the health of police personnel in his reform agenda.

He said that the Federal Government had also approved its Health Management Organisation (HMO), a limited liability company, to further ensure that the personnel did lack access to quality healthcare.

“We understand the hazard of police job and have packaged quality health programme for them to enjoy through the HMO,’’ he said.

The DIG said that the company would have taken off but for some modalities, especially the constitution of its board of directors.

“I think anytime from now it will take off. It could have taken off this year but because of other engagements of the Inspector-General of Police, it has not actually taken off.

“I think by January it is likely to take off,’’ Udah said.

On the negative perception of the police by the public, he stressed the need for moral rearmament by both the police and the society.

“I think everybody has to be blamed about this thing. If you are pointing accusing fingers at the police, you also point at the society,’’ he said.

He appealed for the cooperation of the media on its reorientation campaign for the good way of doing things to improve police image.