The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says that it has registered more than 20 million Nigerians in the Health Insurance Plan in Nigeria.
Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi, interim zonal coordinator, northern central zone comprising Kwara, Niger and Kogi, revealed this in an interview with the Nigeria news agency (NAN) in Ilorin.
He explained that the forum aimed to illuminate the public about the policies of the authority to guarantee best practices, noting that current reforms are aimed at a benefit of optimal medical care in Nigeria.
He said policies were aimed at achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.
According to him, Nigeria goes to register 44 million people, which allows them to access the provision of affordable medical care.
“We are illuminating interested parties on increasing the rate. NHIA guarantees efficiency through the quality in the provision of services.
“We are increasing the rate in terms of capitation; there is also an increase in terms of service rate,” he said.
He said the capitation rate was previously N750, but now it is N1,450 for each life registered under health insurance.
Abdullahi also revealed that the authority has increased accreditation and reactation standards to align with current demands, despite the challenges.
According to him, these reforms were part of the activities of the current management directed by Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, the general director of the NHIA.
He said that President Bola Tinubu had mandatory the registration of health insurance for all citizens to ensure that Nigerians have access to quality medical care.
“We are working to guarantee a drug -free society, under the Nhia Medicine initiative.
“We are going to have drugs with the Nhia brand that our affiliates can easily access,” he said.
Abdullahi also declared that to ensure that affiliates do not face difficulties in accessing services, the federal government has introduced the “one -hour reference authorization code.”
He explained that this would ensure that the waiting time is reduced for affiliates when they need references of primary to secondary medical care.
Also speaking, the state coordinator, the Nhia Kwara office, Hajiya Idayat Belloitan, expressed his delight for the introduction of the new intervention programs.
He listed some of the interventions to include the Comprehensive Emergency and Newborn Obstetric Attention Program (CEMANC), designed to address the five main causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria.
According to her, some of these causes are bleeding, preeclampsia, sepsis, complications after abortion and obstructed childbirth.
She said that other programs include the NHIA Free Fistula (FFP) program and the drug -resistant tuberculosis of the Fundir Global Founder (DRT).
“These programs are crucial to expand universal health coverage and alignment with the renewed agenda of hope in the health sector as indicated by the president,” he said.
Olaitan revealed that the authority is starting “mysterious purchases”, a monitoring and evaluation exercise carried out by NHIA officials.
She said: “The government is committed to ensuring that members do not suffer at the point of accessing services.
“This is also to demand that all health centers provide adequate treatment to all affiliates. We demand that there be a quality guarantee in all health facilities,” he said.
Read too Main stories OF Nigerian tribe
Watch the best Nigerian Tribune TV videos