Health insurance is a road too far for Nigerians

yinka ogunlami

December 21, 2015 2:45 PM

It will take many years before most Nigerians would be able reap the benefits of a health insurance owing to the fact that it is still a luxury and is limited to the handful people who only are able to pay for the service.

It will take many years before most Nigerians would be able reap the benefits of a health insurance owing to the fact that it is still a luxury and is limited to the handful people who only are able to pay for the service.

A health insurance is a way to pay for health care. It protects the bearer from the burden of paying the cost medical service if one is sick or injured or need medical attention is any way. It is similar to car insurance or home insurance where an individual choose a plan and agree to pay a fixed arte known as premium monthly or annually. In return the insurer agrees to bear a portion of the medical costs.

Read: Health foundation, clubs, seek public support for patients

Voices are being raised in Nigeria to make health insurance available to the masses. Healthcare is a very important parameter and is should be given more priority than other problems. The formal Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Prof. Akin Osibogun expressed huge concerns about the gap between the Nigerian masses and their access to proper healthcare greatly emphasised on the need for mandatory medical health insurance scheme for all the Nigerians in his book titled, “My Life, My Medicine: A Chief Medical Director’s Story”

The Nigeria Medical Association’s (NMA) had previously had called the authorities to instantaneously start the discharge of the 2014 National Health Act. They also added the need for a primary healthcare system in the states start immunisation and healthcare. On April 27, 2015 the Nigerian National Telecommunications Carrier, Globacom unveiled mobile health insurance product in Abuja, to foster Nigerians access to quality healthcare.

While initiatives like this will go a long way to bridging the gaps in the healthcare system, it is to be noted that pursuing medical profession is a very costly affair with undergraduates paying about N3 million per session and making it difficult for Nigerians who are brilliant minded but with average financial background to get into medical profession.

yinka ogunlami