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NHIA team with NUJ leadership at Ernest Etim Press Centre, Calabar
By Akpan David, Calabar
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has introduced another initiative called ‘Group, Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP)’ to help drive the processes of achieving the Universal Health Coverage in the country.
Cross River State coordinator of NHIA, Mr. Stanley Effah disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the leadership of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, at their Secretariat in Calabar Friday.
Effah expressed delight in the opportunity to interface with NUJ, in a bid to “deepen advocacy, enhance stakeholder collaboration and create awareness on social health insurance for public good.”
The Coordinator hinted that GIFSHIP is a new, as well as encompassing programme that will benefit Nigerians.
Emphasising that health insurance is now compulsory to all Nigerians, he said the GIFSHIP initiative was part of NHIA’s determination to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within set timelines through its various service platforms.
He pointed out that GIFSHIP has become the main vehicle of enrollment, especially in the non-formal sector of the economy.
“We know that NUJ is a welfare and professional body. You will be invaluable in setting the agenda for Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria, as well as educating the public that health insurance is now compulsory to all Nigerians.
“We want you to join us in eliciting public buy-in towards the actualization of Universal Health Coverage,” he stressed.
The Coordinator averred that the NHIA Act has empowered the Nigerian health system to tackle high incidence of poverty caused by out-of-pocket expenses for health care, through health insurance for all categories of Nigerians.
He further stated that the Act also establishes and empowers the NHIA to ensure provision of health insurance for all Nigerians through a mandatory mechanism.
Welcoming the NHIA team, chairman of NUJ in the state, Comrade Gill Nsa , lamented the lack of public trust in some public institutions.
Nsa implored the NHIA to reinvigorate public trust that would attract confidence and participation by individuals and organization.
He assured that media practitioners have the moral obligation to propagate human interest activities, including those bothering on the health of citizens.
