Lara Adejoro
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate has faulted an announcement made by the Ministry of Defence on the approval and creation of a new Health Maintenance Organisation for civil servants.
The Ministry of Defence in a statement on its website on Thursday, announced that the HMO would be called the Federal Civil Service Health Maintenance Limited.
The statement partly read, “The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has approved the creation of a new Health Maintenance Organisation to be called, Federal Civil Service Health Maintenance Limited.
“Dr Kana emphasised the significance of this initiative, saying that the approval is a testament to the government’s recognition of the invaluable contributions of its workforce.”
Meanwhile, Pate on his X handle on Friday night said he is very surprised to see the announcement on a matter that is far from being concluded.
“President @officialABAT’s administration is focused in the health sector on expanding financial protection for all Nigerians, not only a few privileged ones.
“The forces that held back progress on health insurance (only about seven per cent population or 16 million Nigerians covered in more than 20 years) waking up to undermine efforts to reform National Health Insurance Authority to accelerate coverage for all Nigerians,” the minister noted.
He, however, urged the proponents of the ‘project’ not to conflate power with knowledge.
“I urge the proponents of this “project” to tarry a bit, not conflate power with knowledge, and work through this effort constructively and as part of the NHIA reforms underway. Urging all involved to carefully consider the implications of undermining Nigeria’s progress on Universal Health Coverage for narrow and very short-term interests
“The reforms will expand coverage for civil servants (including through a properly established and appropriately regulated Federal Civil Service HMO, coverage for retirees, at the same time as expand protection for millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians, not only for Federal Civil Servants,” he added.
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