HealthCare Providers Association of Nigeria, HCPAN has called on the government to strengthen health insurance and Universal Health Coverage, UHC, in Nigeria through improved funding and structure.
Speaking at the 15th Annual General Meeting of the Association in Lagos, the President of HCPAN, Dr Adeyeye Arigbabuwo urged State governments to buy into social health insurance without prejudice of looking at funds of support of Federal government.
Arigbabuwo, said state governments should buy into the health insurance to assist its citizenry, adding that, “An agreed National template for floating state support social health insurance should therefore be patterned to mimick the NHIS remuneration or a dozen more times better to encourage a buy in.”
He further called for cohesion of inter and intra professional relationships in the health sector saying health insurance has been found to be the best and lasting solution to healthcare financing.
Former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi who commended HCPAN for organizing such a conference to look at issues surrounding health insurance insisted that if health must be made available and affordable to generality of Nigerians, there is need for effective health insurance.
He said Nigeria needs a workable NHIS with a very big advocacy programme that would intimate the ordinary Nigerians what is going on and how they can combine to make it work.
The high-point of the event was the presentation of awards to Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and Dr Tosin Ajayi of First Foundation.
