Stakeholders laud move to domesticate Health Insurance Act

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders lauded the move at the public hearing for the proposed Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme Bill 2016, held at the Assembly’s Complex, Ado-Ekiti.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Olurotimi Ojo, and Dr Age Solomon, Assistant Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), said the bill would ensure people have access to qualitative health services.

“The proposed bill will help Ekiti citizens to safe for the rainy day in order to access good healthcare services,” Ojo said.

On his part, Solomon appealed that the scheme should be made to capture not only minor ailments but also major ones that might affect the people.

Mrs Olajoke Balogun, a representative of the National Health Insurance Scheme, South West, urged the lawmakers to design the scheme’s social welfare in such a way that the rich would be made to pay for the poor in the society.

The state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Raymond Aladesanmi, urged government to be sincere with the contributory money while implementing the scheme.

The Chairman, House Committee on Human Services, HIV and AIDS, Mrs Cecilia Dada, had earlier called for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure the successful passage of the bill.

Other participants at the forum included representatives of Laboratory Technicians of Nigeria, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSU).