FEC approves inclusion of NYSC members in NHIS

.Declares Nigeria meningitis, polio, cholera free

The Federal Executive Council presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has approved the inclusion of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) currently enjoyed by the civil servants only.

This inclusion of the NYSC members is meant to prevent sad incidents of deaths of corps members as a result of lack of medical facility in the National Orientation Camps across the country.

Last year, there was outcry following the death of two Corps members, Miss Ifedolapo Oladepo, at the NYSC orientation camp in Kano, due to negligence and Ukeme Asuquo, who died in NYSC camp in Zamfara State, after suffering from Diarrhea.

Addressing State House Correspondents at the post-FEC briefing, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said the inclusion of NYSC corps members in the NHIS scheme was one of the two memoranda presented by the ministry for approval.

Adewole, who briefed alongside his counterparts in Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the ministry presented memorandum that had to do with how government will prevent unnecessary death among NYSC members across the country.

“Council approved the memo that henceforth we will include NYSC members in the National Health Insurance Scheme across the country. This will guarantee access to quality care across the country, prevent unnecessary deaths and also ensure our youth corps members receive the highest attainable level of care across the country, “he said.

Adewole said Council also received memoranda from the Ministry of Health that has to do with the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).

“This MoU has to do with the procurement and distribution of contraceptives commodities across the country. The Federal Government has the policy of free distribution of contraceptives commodities and services across the country. We have renewed the MoU today to last for the next four years between 2017 and 2020. We will also continue to provide effective safe voluntary contraceptives services across.”

The public had called on government to make conscious effort to see that the participants of the NYSC scheme are well protected and are given the best of medical attention.

According to the minister, the ministry also presented a report on the state of public health services across to council, saying that government has formally declared over, the meningitis outbreak in some of the northern state that ravaged many lives.

The minister said: “We have formally declared the Meningitis outbreak over in the country. We also informed FEC that we have not recorded new cases of Polio in the country in 2017. We have recorded seven new cases of Lassa fever across the country and the cholera outbreak in Kwara State has also fizzled out.”