NHIS, TUC partner to restructure scheme
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) says it will partner with Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to organise a retreat that will determine how to improve services provided by the scheme.
Prof. Usman Yusuf, Executive Secretary of NHIS made the assertion during a visit to TUC secretariat in Lagos.
Yusuf said that the congress’ involvement would correct some errors made by past operators and move the scheme forward.
“We want to find out what is needed to develop the scheme.
“The NHIS new administration wants to improve activities of the service and correct the mistakes made in the past,’’ Yusuf said.
The scribe said that after the retreat, the NHIS executives will come out with a five-year plan on how to restructure the scheme to impact the lives of Nigerians.
He said that the NHIS administration would also meet with legislators to pass a health bill that would impact on the beneficiaries.
Yusuf said that the administrators of the scheme would seek assistance from organisations to provide equipment such as computers to assist the NHIS offices in rural areas.
Earlier, the TUC President, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, said that the congress was monitoring the efforts of the scheme to ensure that it was in the interest of the people.
Kaigama said that the congress would not allow the NHIS to be linked with maladministration as witnessed by past managers of the scheme.
“The immediate past managers of the scheme made budgets that were improper.
“I urge you to look at the 2016 budget and any aspect that will not benefit the users should be removed,’’ the TUC president said.
He promised that the congress would give financial assistance to the scheme, saying that a committee comprising of labour and NHIS should be put in place to guard against mismanagement of funds.
“There are defaulters and fraudsters in the scheme. We are aware that a Health Management Organisations (HMO) defrauded the scheme of N90 million and that should be investigated,’’ he said.
Kaigama advised that the NHIS funds should be used to enlarge the scope of its mandate.
