Nation
Poverty, Joblessness, Bane Of NHI Law Implementation -Stakeholders
Stakeholders have lamented the poor implementation of the National Health Insurance Policy (NHI), saying it is what has made it difficult to make headway in achieving universal health coverage.
The stakeholders spoke at a one-day validation meeting of the Policy Brief on Full Implementation of NHI law, organised by Centre for Social Justice in partnership with Palladium and United States of America for International Development (USAID) in Ado Ekiti, recently.
The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Ekiti State chapter, Com. Kolapo Olatunde and a staff of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Jide Oloyede, said National Health Insurance Law that was supposed to make the policy mandatory for all Nigerians could not be holistically implemented due to unemployment and poverty.
The NLC Chairman said many of the workers in the states, who had keyed into the policy, could not access quality healthcare in their various facilities as a result of epileptic remittances of their deductions into the accounts of service providers.
He said the programme could only be made compulsory for all workers, if the N30,000 minimum wage and the consequential adjustment are implemented across board.
On his part, an expert and staff of NHIA, Dr. Jide Oloyede, said the cankerworms of poverty and joblessness are issues to be considered before holistic implementation of the law, stating, however, that government has special programmes that capture poor Nigerians.
Oloyede said: “What we have noticed is that the health insurance programme is well patronised by the Federal Government agencies. Health insurance is now mandatory because the NHI law stipulates that and it is going to be effected.
“The authority is trying to create avenues to ensure that many poor and vulnerable people are captured, after that the law will be enforced and sanctions await those defying the order.”
The General Manager, Ekiti State Health Insurance, Dr. Aderiye, revealed that 70 per cent of Ekiti people did not have the National Identification Number, saying this was impeding their accessibility of the expected healthcare system under insurance scheme.
“Knowing that many people are incapacitated financially, government is introducing equity plan covering elderly, physically challenged, children, pregnant women and poor Nigerians”, he said.
The stakeholders further agreed that transparency and accountability were required in the management of the policy, calling for the deployment of skillful human resources for effective management, while also seeking political patronage to make it all- inclusive.
“The government should provide incentives for formal and informal participants to lure more people into it and it must make the economy stronger. When people are poor, they won’t be able to enroll in health insurance,” they said.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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