From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Friday, in Abuja, officially flagged off the enrolment of corps members into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Scheme, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim, described the feat as a “landmark achievement and a watershed in the annals of the scheme.
According to him; “today’s event is the culmination of the Presidential directive issued in 2016, which arose as a result of the unfortunate deaths of three corps members deployed to Kano, Zamfara and Bayelsa States Orientation Camps. The loss of any corps member as it were, provokes sadness in us, leaving the Scheme highly diminished.
“Corps members, who represent the most critical part of our demography – the youths, are the leaders and builders of tomorrow. Consequently, any government policy aimed at uplifting this group is akin to building the future of our dear country, Nigeria.
“It is particularly fulfilling that the enrolment of corps members into the Health Insurance Scheme is in line with the policy thrust of my administration bordering on the improvement of welfare and security of corps members and staff.
“This health initiative, known as NYSC Group Individual Family Social Health Insurance Programme, (GIFSHIP) has been designed as a holistic health insurance scheme, covering the periods of Pre-Orientation, that is, as soon as a Prospective Corps Member picks up Call-up Letter, which is the instrument that qualifies him/her for admittance into National Service, until the end of his/her terminal leave, which is three weeks after disengagement from Service.
“For effective implementation of this scheme, six Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOS) have been carefully selected after a competitive process for each of the six geopolitical zones to drive the process. To ensure seamless arrangement devoid of encumbrances, Corps Members are expected to register under Health Care Practitioners in their localities. It is therefore my expectation that both the HMOS and Health Care Providers will approach this insurance scheme with the highest degree of responsibility and integrity.
“On our part, management of the NYSC will leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that all, who have roles to play in this initiative, carry them out with patriotic zeal so as to meet the expectations of the Government. In al bid to further achieve this, I have directed the Corps Welfare and Health Services Department of the Scheme to ensure strict monitoring of the HMOs in concert with the NHIS Office to guard against service failure.
“We will ensure that the operations of the health scheme are consistent with the philosophy behind the initiation of this wonderful health insurance scheme by government,” he said.
Speaking further he said: “I am highly delighted to welcome you all to this momentous occasion, marking the official flag-off of the enrolment of corps members into the nation’s National Health Insurance Scheme. Indeed, this is a landmark achievement and a watershed in the annals of the NYSC.
“The issue of a robust and sustainable health care system for corps members has always been of paramount importance to successive management of the Scheme. I hasten to reiterate that corps members nationwide should avail themselves of the unique opportunity provided by the NHIS to access qualitative health care at no cost to them. I also enjoin them to reciprocate this gesture by being conscientious in the discharge of their duties to fatherland.
In his introductory remark, the Director Corps Welfare and Health Services Department, Omotade Folorunso Benjamin, recounted what went into the actualisation of the programme.
“Indeed, it has been a long and tortuous but richly rewarding journey involving consultations, series of
meetings, planning, strategizing and restrategizing, all geared towards working out the best modality for the smooth take-off of the healthcare service to our resourceful and patriotic corps members.
“The benefit package of this initiative in conceptualization and implementation are enormous When fully operational, it will not only lift the burden of settlement of huge medical bills off the shoulders of the Scheme, but will also ensure provision of adequate and qualitative health care for all corps members during their one year national service.
“The modified NHIS-NYSC Group Individual Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP) being birthed, today has its own peculiarity but largely, it draws from the same structure of the Formal Sector Social Health Insurance programme,” he noted.