Health managers in Nigeria have called on President
Mohammadu Buhari to assent to the National Health Insurance Commission
bill, which they believe will strengthen the health sector in terms of
providing quality healthcare for a large number of the population and
with spread out payments.
Industry experts, under the auspices of the Health and
Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), observe that when the bill
is passed, it would galvanise the sector and increase health insurance
coverage in the country.
Kolawole Ajao Owoka, chairman, HMCAN, the umbrella body of
Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) in Nigeria, observes it is
vital that policy makers interface with associations such as theirs,
which has 70 percent of market share in the health sector.
“As health operators in Nigeria, we want the best for the
industry, especially as it concerns global best practices, Owoka says,
adding that at the moment, there is no developing country that is not in
one form of health policy or another, and Nigeria cannot be an
exception.
“It is quite strange that a lot of Nigerians don’t really
understand the concept of HMOs and how it works. This concept deals with
health maintenance. But it is sad to note that a lot of doctors dwell
on the curative aspect. But that time is gone, we are out to look at a
preventive approach to health maintenance,” he says.
The chairman, who led other executives of the association
to BusinessDay headquarters in Lagos, says the health of the people must
be delibrately planned for and not left to chance.
Frank Aigbogun, publisher, BusinessDay newspaper, on his
part, pledges the support of the company to help the course of the
association, pointing out that health-care financing is a critical area
the country needs to look at.
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