Can one dollar fetch a health insurance in Nigeria? Much as this appears impossible, recent developments at Alagbado, a developing community on the outskirts of Lagos State is proving this to be possible.
Mrs. Victoria Ayinde, a school teacher who lives in Alagbado said she is aware of the National Health Insurance Scheme but the N25, 000( $125)meagre income she receives as salary for teaching in a secondary school in the centre of the town cannot afford the payment of N750 ($3.75) as monthly premium.
“After deducting house rent and feeding allowance for my children, the rest of the money is gone. My children come down with Malaria frequently but I take them to the government-owned health centre for treatment. Though consultation is free, I still have to pay for the drugs and other things used in their treatment. But with a Community Health Insurance Scheme where I can get subsidy on premiums, I just may try it out and see the difference it will make”, the widow who has three children stated when she was informed of the development.
The tale of Olajuwon Amusa, a printer who lives in Alagbado shows the change health insurance can make in the lives of people living in rural communities if they have access to one.
“My father who worked as a transporter for over 25 years in the north lies at home with arthritis. He is 63 now and he cannot walk properly because the pains in his joint won’t allow him. I have spent all my savings on drugs for him and I can no longer bear the cost of the treatment. I can’t take him back to the hospital because I don’t have money. A man comes here to rub an herbal balm on his legs but there hasn’t been any change. I have heard of Health Insurance but I never considered it because I think it is for people who work in big offices”, he submitted.
Overtime, access to healthcare by rural folks in many Nigerian communities is faced with myriads of challenges which have led to a burden of communicable diseases as well as increase in non-communicable diseases like cancer, heart diseases and other chronic ailments. Already, outbound medical tourism fueled by poor healthcare in the country is pegged at $500 million annually.
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have also argued that since prevalent private expenditure pegged at 63 percent is mostly out-of-pocket, there is an active demand for private healthcare in Nigeria.
As the MDGs closes in and Nigeria joins the rest of the world in agreeing to a new set of sustainable development goals, there is no doubting the fact that a scale up of community health insurance schemes targeted at rural communities can help ensure healthy lives and promote well being for people of all, at all ages.
With a gateway opened to residents of Alagbado through a Community Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) initiated by Optimal Healthcare Limited, the people seem set to be on a pathway to healthy living.
Dr. Femi Olaleye, the Managing Director of Optimal Healthcare Limited, the organisation introducing the CHIS to Alagbado said the scheme will cover general out-patient services, child welfare services, health education classes, diet- nutrition demonstration classes, weight loss/ monitoring classes, preventive health/breast cancer screening and family health services as well as pregnancy issues.
Launched in June 12, 2015, the scheme is said to be a grassroots approach to drive health care delivery that is affordable and accessible for the people irrespective of their social class. With the payment of a monthly premium of N200 (less than a dollar at the current exchange rate), members of the community would have access to treatment covering a range of primary healthcare services and preventive care at the health facility.
Dr. Femi Olaleye, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist who founded Optimal Healthcare Limited in 2013 and Wish for Africa-a UK registered charity organisation is partnering with FBN MicroFinance Bank to deliver the service to the people of the community.
Olaleye further disclosed that the National Health Insurance Scheme set up by the federal government in 1999 approves a monthly capitation of N750 ( $3.75) per enrolee.
“The amount appears too high for a typical family of father, mother and four children under the age of 16 years, a reason why there has been low uptake so far.To help individuals and families cross the hurdle of payment of this fee, we are introducing a monthly subsidy of N550 per head. The subsidy shall be provided by a combination of donors and sponsors brought together by a desire for them to fulfill their corporate social responsibility to the community”, he stated.
Andin a clime where people are not eager to sign up for health insurance, Olaleye is optimistic that the Alagbado model will be established with members of the community driving the project. He expressed confidence that with the support of CSR driven groups, the project would be extended to other high density, low-income areas of the state where health services are needed.
“Now that Lagos State Government has signed a bill to support this form of healthcare financing as a policy of government, I believe that on the long run with large number of people enrolling, the scheme shall be sustained and the benefits shall be felt and appreciated by all, especially members of the community”, he told The Nation.
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