26th September, 2023
By Nimot Sulaimon
The Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES) has harped on the relevance of comprehensive health insurance coverage for all FCT residents.
Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, the FCT Mandate Secretary, made the call on Sunday during an unscheduled inspection of the Gwarinpa General Hospital, Life Camp.
This, she said, is in a bid to reduce medical expenditure amidst the harsh economic reality bedevilling the country and its masses.
As part of their efforts to familiarise themselves with the workings of the FCT’s health sector, they compassionately paid and enrolled 36-year-old Success Mathew and Joyce Emmanuel, a mother of five, in the FCT health insurance scheme to cushion the effect of medical bills on their families.
She noted the urgent need for robust sensitization and enlightenment of the people on the benefit inherent in the scheme.
Fasawe recommended the establishment of a legislature that would mandate health insurance for all establishments and institutions with certain staff strengths in order to promote health insurance practise amongst the masses.
Taking a tour of the Hospital, Fasawe expressed satisfaction on the general outlook of the hospital and commended the functionality of the system geared towards effective service delivery but called for more attention on the availability of pharmaceuticals and medical consumables especially during the weekends as safety doesn’t go on holidays.
There is an urgent need for us to enlighten our people on the benefits of health insurance schemes and discourage the patronage of alternative or traditional medicine without recourse to orthodox medicine.
With an annual payment of the sum of sixty-four thousand Naira only (N64,000), the scheme covers the cost of medical expenses such as surgeries, x-rays, child delivery, Caesarian Section, and other treatments, reducing financial burdens on families as well as out-of-pocket expenses.
The whole family enjoys free access to effective and efficient health care service delivery, which automatically translates to mental health stability for all, Fasawe averred.
She cited the pathetic cases of a road accident victim, Mr Success Matthew, who was yet to get an x-ray and treatment for his fractured leg and was considering opting to leave the hospital for a traditional bone setter’s, and Joyce Emmanuel, a mother of five (5) who delivered twins through a surgical procedure but was unable to make full payment for the health care services rendered by the hospital.
Therefore, Fasawe appealed to all religious houses to spread the evangelism of the health insurance scheme in order to avoid preventable health disasters and also gave cash donations to some vulnerable patients in the hospital.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ayeni, said the economic situation and the high rate of unemployment posed a barrier to mass enrollment in the scheme.