Authorities in the health sector have said that with direct
focus towards the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), universal health
coverage and modern medical equipment in the hospitals, the tales of medical
tourism, fatal diseases and major problems in the health sector would be
solved.
According to the President of the Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA), Dr Kayode Obembe, “the focus in 2015 in the health sector
should be universal health coverage.”
Earlier, in a statement, Obembe said Nigeria can achieve
community-based health insurance in the post-millennium development goals by
engaging community-based health insurance.
The NMA president said the fund accruing to primary health
care as contained in the Health Act should be disbursed through community-based
social health insurance which, according to him, “will definitely drive Nigeria
towards achieving the goal of universal health coverage, especially in the
post-MDG era that starts at the end of 2015.”
Also speaking with Daily Times, the Chief Medical Director
of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (CMD-LASUTH), Ikeja, Prof.
David Oke, said the focus should be on universal health coverage.
Indisputably, the goal of the universal health coverage is
to ensure that everyone obtained the health services they need without
suffering financial hardship when paying for them.
“The NHIS has been in existence for over 15 years, but
doesn’t have 100 per cent coverage for all Nigerians. Most people covered by
the scheme are civil servants and a few multinationals.
The challenge has been that the people who are yet to be
employed and the self-employed are yet to be covered by the scheme.”
The CMD said the health coverage should be for everybody.
“The government should sell the idea of health insurance coverage to everybody
so that people can get access to healthcare.”
Oke also said, the government should also encourage the
development of medical services.
This according to him, will reduce the number of people
going for medical tourism. “The government should encourage private people in
the health sector.
For instance, in India, they give loans to people who are
ready to set up hospitals with interest free loans, lands and relaxation of
taxes on importation of medical equipment and that should be done in Nigeria.
This will encourage doctors in diaspora to come over to Nigeria just like the
way people travel to India for medical tourism. The amount taken abroad for
treatment especially to India is alarming and that can help provide employment
for the unemployed.”
With these, most of the burden of the people will be solved,
Oke said.
For the immediate past president of the Guild of Medical
Directors, Dr Charles Cudjoe, the three things that will help reshape the
health sector in 2015 are access, cost and quality.
Explaining further, he said, “universal health care is the
answer.
The government should ensure that every Nigerian have access
to health care, such that they can be able to go to the hospital to get
treatment because it is basic diseases that are killing Nigerians and they need
to benefit from the NHIS.”
Cudjor also calls for the need of a health bank. “We have a
Bank of Industry (BoI), so there is need for a Health Bank. Every GSM company
in Nigeria should be asked to deduct just N100 for the Health Bank and at the
end of the day, that will amount to billions of naira. The money can then be
used to sustain the doctors and for health insurance.
“With the Health Bank, loans can be given to those in the
health sector who want to set up hospitals or pharmacy with 0 to 5 per cent
interest since it is not an oil and gas business.”
He added that every Nigerian needs a good health service and
it’s time to act.
“Right now, access to health care needs to be improved, the
hospitals in the country need to be upgraded. We’ve talked enough about this,
it’s time to start it, and most countries have it. Look at the ObamaCare, aimed
at more Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance.”
However, a consultant physician/Hematologist at St Claire
Specialist Clinic, Lagos, Dr Chris Otigbuo said, the hospitals need to be well
equipped.
“We really don’t have medical hospitals that are
well-equipped.
We have the personnel but most of the equipment in the
hospitals are broken down. If we want to plan for the average Nigerian, then
the hospitals have to be equipped. The government should provide basic
infrastructure because the personnels are there,” Otigbuo said.
The NHIS established under Act 35 of 1999 by the Federal
Government of Nigeria, is aimed at providing easy access to healthcare for all
Nigerians at an affordable cost through various prepayment systems.
NHIS is totally committed to securing universal coverage and
access to adequate and affordable healthcare in order to improve the health
status of Nigerians, especially for those participating in the various
programmes/products of the Scheme.
Given the general poor state of the nation’s health services
and the excessive dependence and pressure on Government provided health
facilities, with the dwindling funding of healthcare in the face of rising
cost, the Scheme is designed to facilitate fair financing of health care costs
through pooling and judicious utilization of financial risk protection and
cost-burden sharing for people, against high cost of health care through
institution of prepaid mechanism, prior to their falling ill.
This of course is in addition to the provision of regulatory
oversight on Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and other players in
Healthcare delivery.
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