Some stakeholders in the health sector have urged Sen. Bola Tinubu, the President-elect, to build on the success story recorded by the present administration in the area of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
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The stakeholders spoke on the sideline of the just-concluded two days health stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, titled “Improving the Realisation of the Right to Health in Nigeria”.
The stakeholders admitted that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had done well in NHIA, and urged Tinubu to do better and surpass the present record.
They urged Tinubu to work towards the realization of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal set out to be achieved on or before 2030.
Dr. Adetoye Olusanya, General Manager, of Ekiti State Health Insurance Agency, said that a lot of expectations are expected from the incoming administration, to make Nigerians feel the impact of a democratic government.
“This present administration has tried, the National Health Insurance Act which stipulates insurance coverage for everyone started during this administration and they made it compulsory.
“Although this scheme may have started before, this administration actually complimented it and they have taken it far, so we expected the incoming administration to complement efforts and go further.
“The incoming administration must make available the Basic Health Care Provision Funds (BHCPF) that will drive this scheme, instead of deducting funds from the Federal Government account, the deduction should be on the Federation account.
“From the Federation account, they will also deduct the one that goes to the state government and local government, and with all these, there will be more funds for BHCPF,” Olusanya said.
Dr. Vetty Agala, Head of the Healthcare Financing Unit, Rivers State Ministry of Health, stated that the incoming administration must work towards strengthening the efforts of the present administration.
Agala, who is also the Vice Chairman of, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State chapter, said the incoming administration must work towards implementation of the laws in the health sector.
She specifically called for the implementation of the National Health Insurance Act, which guarantees health for all.
“In the country, we have laws, we align with everything that comes our way, what is our level of implementation of the laws, we have a National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), there is also the act.
“We have been doing health insurance for many years, a lot is going on to reform NHIA, the law should be strengthened, the leadership that is doing well should continue to do that.
“One percent of the consolidated revenue must be to the federation account, the money going to the state is poor for the vulnerable group, we can also go on to improve the quality of healthcare providers,” she stressed.
Agala also cautioned on the incessant strike happening in the education sector, saying this is indirectly affecting the health sector, adding that the system must be sanitized.
According to her, the incoming administration must work to wipe out quackery in the health sector, and this set of people is jeopardizing the sector.
She stated that authorities must regulate the kind of drugs that are coming into the country, adding that we must ensure substandard drugs are not brought into the country.
Agala, however, called on the incoming administration to work hard and improve the country’s economy.
