The Federal Government through the National Health Insurance Authority says it will work assiduously to address concerns of enrollees under its health insurance programs especially as it relates to the efficiency of Health Maintenance Organizations and accredited health facilities.

The Edo State NHIA Coordinator, Ambassador Theodore Ehanire made this known at a Quarterly Stakeholders/Enrollee Forum at the Federal Secretariat Aduwawa, Benin City.

The Forum attracted Desk officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, representatives of HMOs and accredited health facilities.

Ambassador Ehanire explained that the forum was conveyed to get first hand assessment of the performance of all the critical stakeholders in the health insurance scheme directly from the enrollees. 

He noted that reactions from the enrollees have shown the need to sustain such engagements to ensure the success of the health insurance programmes.

He further explained that insurance programmes have become more germane with concerns over the skyrocketing prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals in the country, and urged those outside the insurance cover to promptly enroll under the scheme to ensure that they are not left behind.

According to him, the agency would pay investigative visits to most of the facilities fingered to be providing poor services to enrollees to ensure that they reevaluate their commitment to the NHIA mandate, warning that failure to do, they could risk being delisted.

The Edo NHIA Coordinator however noted that most facilities are faced with the challenge of depletion of their workforce as many health workers, especially doctors and nurses, have left the shores of the country in search of greener pasture.  He noted that this further compounds the crisis in the health sector.

Some of the enrollees commended the NHIA for organizing the forum, urging it to increase its surveillance of health facilities especially when it comes to drug administration and dispensation; professional conduct of medical workers, and HMOs.