The Senate yesterday
called for mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians irrespective of their
social status. Chairman, Senate Committee on Heath, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe,
made the call in Abuja at a public hearing on a bill for an Act to repeal the
National Health Insurance Scheme Act 2004 and to enact the National Health
Insurance Commission Bill.
Health insurance is optional under the current Act. Oloriegbe
said health insurance must be made mandatory and premium payments be subsidized
for the poor.
“The uncertainty of disease or illness has made it necessary
for the need of insurance and its works on certain fundamental principles – the
principle of cross subsidization and solidarity where the rich support the
poor, the well support the sick and the ‘haves’ support the ‘have nots’.
“This can only be achieved through making insurance mandatory
and subsidization for those unable to afford insurance premiums,” he said. He
said the country had made almost no progress in reducing maternal mortality.
Quoting figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, he said Nigeria records
about 900,000 maternal and child mortalities each year.
He said Nigeria contributed 14 percent of all maternal deaths
globally, second only to India at 17 percent. “Neither is it surprising that
Nigeria contributes 13 percent of all under five deaths globally, again second
only to India at 21 percent. “This is not acceptable and we need to begin to
reverse this trend. It is now clear that the need for healthcare reforms is
very necessary,” he added.
