(Updated) NHIS: We’ve disbursed over N15.2bn out of N28bn-Health Minister

…N30bn stashed in CBN can’t be accessed by healthcare delivery operators-Reps C’ttee

…only three states have received funds

… you can’t run NHIS like a business venture-DG

By Emman Ovuakporie

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire on Wednesday said that out of N28billion received to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS only N15.2billion have been disbursed.

This is just as the tripartite Committee probing the agency revealed that N30billion kept in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has remained unaccessed by healthcare delivery operators since 2018.

This revelation was made by the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Hon Darlington Nwokocha at the on-going 2-day tripartite Committee investigative hearing on Activities of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

The three committees, Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Healthcare Services and Health Institutions are expected to unearth all the u wholesome Activities of NHIS.

Nwokocha in his remarks said the money was”captured in the 2018 budget but has not been accessed by healthcare delivery operators till date.

He said the investigative hearing on NHIS will “unravel the difficulties in accessing the fund under the sub heading of Basic Health Provision Fund in the CBN resulting to some states being left out.

“We’ve also received complaints from different stakeholders across the states of the Federation on the difficulties with accessing the funds appropriated to states under the Basic Health care Provision Fund.

Also speaking at the hearing,the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire who was represented by a Director, Dr Emmanuel Moribo who stated that so far the ministry had received N28.5bn and has disbursed N15.2bn so far.

But he drew the flak of the panel when he said only three states Nationwide had gotten funds so far.

This did not go down well with the lawmakers who bombarded him with questions as to why only three states out of 36 should get funds while others wait.

Explaining, the minister state that “certain factors are considered while carrying out assessment of the states and 22states met the criteria so far.

“We consider the per capital income, Primary Health Care Facility on ground and poverty index.

“There are different levels of implementation in the States but so far only three states namely: Osun, Ebonyi and Abia were only states that could access the funds because they met the criteria.

While making his presentation, the NHIS Director General, Prof M Sambo told the lawmakers that in other climes NHIS is seen as a social insurance not a business venture.

He said in Nigeria the NHIS based on the Amended Act “operates like a business and this is not done in any part of the world.

“And based on this it will be difficult to have a universal suffrage approach to its activities.

“The NHIS wasn’t designed to have too much money because it was expected to operate a social insurance so running it as a business outfit it’s going to be difficult.

Organisations present at the hearing include: NLC, NMA, JEHESU, Guild of Medical Directors, Association of Health Practitioners of Nigeria and others.

The investigative hearing continues tomorrow (Thursday)