’70% of Nigerians lack quality healthcare

’70% of Nigerians lack quality healthcare

Posted by Sylvester on Friday, January 31, 2014 0

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THE South East zonal coordinatorof National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Mrs. Mrs. Ossi Gertrude Nma, yesterday disclosed that 70 percent of Nigerians lacked accessibility to quality and affordable healthcare delivery in the country.

Nma, who made this known during a courtesy visit to the wife of Ebonyi State governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi, at Government House, Abakaliki, explained that the NHIS had developed the formal, informal sectors of Social Health Insurance Programme and vulnerable Group Social Health Insurance Programmes in order to ensure that every Nigerian was part of the health policy of the country.

She stated that the NHIS-MDG Maternal and Child Health Programme, when instituted in the state, would enhance the reduction of poverty and disease burden in rural areas where 70 percent of the country’s populace lived.

Nma, who appreciated Mrs. Elechi for her commitment to the reduction of Child and Maternal morbidity and mortality rate in the state, through the establishment of her pet project, Mother and
Childcare Initiative, MCCI, said the NHIS would always partner her office to ensure quality healthcare services for the people.

She said: “It is pertinent to note here that the NHIS commissioned a Community Health Insurance Programme at Afikpo on April 2, 2013.

The scheme has also undertaken to pay for all Children Under 5 (CU5) and pregnant mothers of all registered adult. This is also geared towards addressing the very poor indices in Maternal and Child Health.

”Ebonyi State is one of the states chosen by NHIS-MDG to address its maternal and child morbidity indices as part of our heath intervention projects.

“However, Ikwo local government area has been selected in the state as pilot scheme to address significantly the overburdened health situation among this vulnerable group.

”In a bid to actualize our commitment to reaching the rural dwellers, the NHIS established state offices in the 36 states of the country, including the FCT. Our goal is to reach the unreached, the vulnerable groups and the indigents in our society.”

Earlier, wife of Ebonyi State governor, Mrs. Elechi, who appreciated the impact of NHIS on the lives of citizens of the country, noted that the establishment of the National Fistula Centre in
Abakaliki had aided the reduction of maternal deaths across the 13 local government areas of the state and beyond.

She assured that her office would continue to partner health-related agencies, such as NHIS, towards the provision of qualitative and affordable healthcare services to the people of the state.

Vangaurd