The federal government is committed to providing health insurance for older persons and retirees in the country, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said.
He spoke in Abuja on Sunday during the presentation of the ministerial committee’s report on the provision of health insurance for retirees and the elderly in Nigeria.
MURIC asks NECO to shift exam from sallah day
Library association decries poor conditions of facilities in states
He said countries that had witnessed civilization and national development took care of older persons in their midst and prioritized access to healthcare for them.
He commended the committee for the work put into the report, saying it was not just for the elderly, but also the country’s development as a whole.
The minister promised to study it and ensure effective implementation.
Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof. Mohammed Sambo, said the committee was constituted so that no one was left behind in accessing health insurance in the country.
He said the report was in alignment with the health insurance bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari which made health insurance mandatory in the country.
He said the report had made the job of implementing the Health Insurance Act easier.
He said NHIA would ensure effective implementation once it received the report.
The chairman of the inter-ministerial committee, Linus Awute, said the committee which was inaugurated in 2020, had some delays in the submission of the report as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
