From Abuja
House of Representatives yesterday urged the National Health Insurance to put on hold further quarterly release of funds to the Health Maintenance Organisation pending the outcome of investigation by the House.
This call became necessary when Hon Chike John Okafor in conjunction with Hon Henry Nwawuba, both from Imo State inform the House that the Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) which had received over N351b from the scheme since inception in 2005 had deprived the enrollees their right to qualitative treatment and attention.
Speaking further, Hon Chike Okafor reminded the House of the purpose in which National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which was to provide affordable health care for all Nigerians and also to ensure the availability of funds to the Health sector for improved service delivery.
In addition, one of the cardinal responsibilities of the scheme was maintenance of the highest standards with the regards to quality of care that was accorded to beneficiaries,He added .
“The Federal Government pays 3.5% while its employee pay 1.7% amounting to 5.25% of the monthly salary of a Federal Government worker, while the State Government, Local Government and organised private sector employers pay 10% and the employees pay 5% amounting to 15%of their monthly salary even when the services for which these premium deductions are made, are not rendered satisfactorily”.
“The enrollees are being short changed and used as conduit pipes for funnel revenue to the HMOs and healthcare providers as the enrollees are treated like leprous people while trying to access the services that many strategies have been adopted by the Healthcare Providers “.
Okafor who expressed displeasure over this development, further told his colleagues that the scheme paid the HMOs three months upfront so as to enable them provide timely, standard and qualitative Health care services to the enrollees through timely and regular payment to the Health care providers, but the reverse was the case.
Majority of the lawmakers who were present at the hallow chamber spoke in favour of the motion when the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara who presided over the plenary session open the floor for debate and equally voted in support of the motion through voice vote.
Dogara later mandated the Committee on Health Care Services to conduct an investigation into the activities of the HMOs as well as the Health care providers so as to determine the reasons for the poor state of services to the enrollees and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
