From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
Acting executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Attahiru Ibrahim, has explained why the re-accreditation of health maintenance organisations (HMOs) is being conducted, despite a directive from the National Assembly to halt the process.
The House of Representatives, as part of its investigation into allegations of the mismanagement of N351 billion paid to HMOs from 2005 to 2016, directed the NHIS to suspend the accreditation of HMOs until the House Committee on Health Services concluded investigation into the matter.
However, Ibrahim, who explaind the agency’s position during a session with journalists in Abuja yesterday, said stopping the accreditation process would lead to “system failure.”
He stressed that millions of enrollees, some of whom could be rushed to hospital during an emergency, would be stranded if HMOs were put out of operation by not re-accrediting them.
“As you are aware, NHIS runs a contributory scheme and, because of this, persons that have made contributions must continue receiving service.
“Besides, stopping the re-accreditation of HMOs would lead to service or system failure. We cannot afford this because human lives are at stake.
“It is an ongoing process and, of the 57 HMOs we want to re-accredit, they all have their licenses out. We have the permission of the Federal Ministry of Health that we go ahead with the process” he said.