The Acting Coordinator of the Lagos State zone, National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Mrs Awala Ebijuwa, has enjoined newly accredited health care providers in the state to rise up to the challenges of increased health care needs of Lagosians.
Ebijuwa who spoke at a providers forum organized by the zone, reaffirmed that quality service delivery, easy access and affordable healthcare costs aimed at eradicating out-of- pocket expenditure for the citizenry, were a key policy thrust of the NHIS.
Speaking on the topic, “Achieving Universal Health Coverage” Ebijuwa noted: ”The trend in global best practice is a healthcare financing approach that seeks to eradicate all forms of out-of- pocket expenditure on healthcare, because more often than not, a greater percentage of the population does not have a pocket to pay from.
“Therefore, health insurance approach has become a veritable mechanism for achieving quality healthcare delivery where easy access and affordability is guaranteed with no financial status discriminations.”
She opined that with health insurance, universal health coverage, as a mandate is achievable. To ensure that all Nigerians are enrolled, she said the Scheme went into collaboration with state governments under an initiative called the State Supported Social Health Insurance Programme.