‘Less than 5% of FCT residents on health insurance’

The Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) has said less than 5 percent of the population of the FCT is covered under its health insurance scheme.

FHIS Director, Dr Ahmed Danfulani, made the disclosure yesterday during a media roundtable in Abuja.

He enjoined residents of the FCT to harness the many benefits of health insurance by enrolling in the scheme, adding that it would reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and ensure access to quality health care irrespective of location, gender and economic status.

He said, “Presently, we have an average of between 140,000 to 150,000 enrolees in the scheme. There are about 24, 000 poor and vulnerable persons covered under the basic healthcare provision fund and we also cover about 10, 000 from the informal sector which is grossly inadequate compared to the target of 100 percent.”

He said the informal sector group accounts for more than 80 to 90 percent of the lives that should be covered in the scheme but that less than 10 percent of them is covered.

The Executive Director of the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) Moji Makanjuola said the media should be involved in the planning stage and work through to the total acceptance or uptake of health insurance.

She said giving health insurance its pride of place would go a long way in preventing the huge burden of preventable and avoidable deaths in the country.