NHIS Repositions For Better Service Delivery……Seeks Compulsory Insurance

The Acting Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr AbdulRahman Sambo says the scheme is repositioning itself for better service delivery.

Fielding questions at a forum in Abuja on Sunday, Sambo said the scheme would make quick strides if enrolment was made compulsory.

According to him, “The major disadvantage of not making it compulsory is that you will have individuals who would otherwise  to be able to contribute but because of some reasons, cultural, religious, or whatever, or not wanting to be one’s brothers’ keeper would not pay.

“Health insurance is something that you put down money for something that you pray never to use, because you put down money for use when you are ill, but you don’t pray to be ill, but that money that you are putting down will assist your brother or sister or somebody down the line who may be ill”, he said.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr AbdulRahman Sambo, said inadequate funding was needed to attain universal health coverage in the country.

Sambo said in Abuja on Sunday that there was the need for special funds to take care of the health needs of vulnerable persons in the country.

He said the scheme had developed key elements to achieving universal health insurance through compulsion for those who could afford health care and subsidy payment.

The subsidy payment, he explained, would ensure that the indigene were taken care of from some of the contributions of those who could afford to pay.