The Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) and the Institute for Healthcare Finance and Management Limited (IHFM) have conferred fellowships and inducted new members into the association.
Eleven individuals were conferred with fellowship honours, while two others were inducted as full members during a recent ceremony.
The event took place at the annual general meeting of the HMCAN and the IHFM conference in Lagos, themed “The Future of Health Insurance: How to Prepare for the Changes Ahead.”
Leke Oshunniyi, HMCAN Chairman, called on the newly inducted fellows and members to uphold ethical standards and demonstrate professionalism in their work.
Addressing the fellows, Oshunniyi emphasised that their selection was based on merit and urged them to continue contributing to the advancement of the association.
The conferment and induction ceremony was officiated by Raymond Osho, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lifeworth HMO.
Speaking on the event’s theme, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Kelechi Ohiri, highlighted Nigeria’s progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He noted that the aim is to alleviate health poverty by expanding coverage, improving equity, ensuring quality care, and enhancing market efficiency.
Ohiri stated that the NHIA must take deliberate steps to restructure the market for effective coverage. He revealed that over 60 percent of current coverage comes from the formal sector, while the informal sector accounts for only 1 percent.
With primary health insurance (PHI) covering less than 5 percent of its total potential market, Ohiri expressed optimism that, with collaboration among stakeholders, Nigeria could develop a vibrant PHI sector that could reach 50 percent coverage by 2030.
Emmanuel Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, disclosed that of the 4,000 public health facilities in the state, only 2,000 are registered, while the remaining 2,000 and about 20,000 alternative practitioners remain unregistered.
He called on the NHIA to enforce compliance, citing the low number of insured residents as a risk to the state.
Prof Abayomi stressed that healthcare is both a security and economic concern, highlighting the need for increased funding to restore the sector to its former standard.
HMCAN Chairman Oshunniyi expressed confidence in the NHIA’s leadership and its ability to achieve UHC by 2030, ensuring that every Nigerian has health insurance coverage.
He urged Health Management Organisations (HMOs) to prioritise providing high-quality services to enrollees, advocating for a minimum premium standard that should not be compromised.
Regarding the conference theme, Oshunniyi noted that while the NHIA Act 2022 has brought significant changes, there are still gaps that require political intervention. He added that the association eagerly anticipates new NHIA guidelines to set the framework for effective implementation.
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