In a renewed effort to widen access to affordable healthcare services, key stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have launched the Inclusive Health Insurance Enrolment Programme, aimed at reaching vulnerable populations across selected states.
The initiative, driven by the Global Health Charity and Training Foundation in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, is designed to enrol indigent Nigerians into state-supported health insurance schemes while also strengthening healthcare delivery across primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Vanguard reported that speaking at the launch event held in Lagos, the Executive Director and Board Member of the Global Health Charity and Training Foundation, Dr Adebayo Akintobi, explained that the programme harnesses the expertise of Nigerian doctors in the diaspora to build local medical capacity and improve healthcare outcomes.
“This initiative is put together by GHCTF in collaboration with PSHAN. Doctors in the diaspora are bringing their expertise back home to help build capacity among colleagues in secondary and teaching hospitals,” he said.
Akintobi further revealed that the foundation had earlier conducted a medical outreach at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, where a total of 79 surgeries were successfully carried out.
“In addition, about 50 gastro-colonoscopies and endoscopies were conducted to screen for colon cancer. We also worked with medical personnel to build sustainable capacity,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, noted that the programme would significantly enhance access to healthcare services for underserved populations.
“Currently, less than five per cent of Nigerians are enrolled in health insurance. I encourage citizens to enrol through their nearest centres,” she said.
In her remarks, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the initiative as timely and necessary, stressing the importance of equitable access to healthcare.
“Access to quality healthcare should not be a privilege for a few but a fundamental right for all,” she said.
