The Senate noted that the Scheme has a presidential mandate of achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2015 but “has failed in this regard as available information shows that it currently boasts of a little above 6 million enrollees even as at the middle of 2019.”

The lawmakers noted that despite the importance of the agency to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians, it had been without a substantive Chief Executive (Executive Secretary) since October 2018.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday sacked the embattled Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, and dissolved its governing council.

Mr Yusuf was sacked 10 months after he was suspended from office by the governing council of the agency.

The ministry of health, in a press statement signed by its director of media, Boade Akinola, said the termination of Mr Yusuf’s appointment was based on the recommendation of a panel of inquiry which had been set up to investigate some of his activities while in office.

The president approved the appointment of Mohammed Sambo as the new Executive Secretary of the agency.

In his debate, Mr Oloriegbe explained that the absence of a secretary for the NHIS affected many critical and important operations of the Scheme; including:

-Non-approval of the 2017/2018 HMOs re-accreditation exercise report which, he said, has allowed for the HMOs to continue to provide service despite their deficiencies.

-Non-approval of the 2018 Staff promotion exercise with the likely consequent delay in the conduct of the 2019 exercise and imperative staff dissatisfaction.

-The approach to dealing with contentious issues with the various stakeholders has not been pragmatic.

-Certain operations of the Scheme such as quality assurance and improvement exercises conducted periodically on Health Care Providers and Health Maintenance Organisations have not been done as expected.

The lawmaker said the dysfunctionality of the organization has resulted in various complaints of dissatisfaction by the health care providers and beneficiaries of the scheme.

“NHIS accredited HMOs owe debts of several months due to unpaid capitation and fee for service and have resorted to unethical means to avoid payments.

“The National Hospital Abuja is owed more than N500 million while other Teaching Hospitals and federal medical centers are owed huge sum s of money,” he said.

He urged the Senate to rise up and join hands to ensure proper action is taken for the effective working of the scheme to attain universal health care for Nigeria.

In his contribution, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo urged the NHIS to take up components of community-based health insurance for citizens like fishermen, farmers, among others.

Betty Apiafi noted that the scheme just got a new Secretary and so the NHIS should be given more time to perform its duties, a suggestion which the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, agreed with.

The Senate also mandated its committee on health (when reconstituted) to investigate the activities of the NHIS and recommend necessary actions to take to improve the services of the scheme for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians.

Source: Premiumtimes