The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has revealed that about 1,629 have benefited from free fistula surgery treatment across the country.
The Director General of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, who made this disclosure at the second steering committee meeting of National Health Insurance Authority, fistula free programme held in Abuja, added that the programme has positively impacted the lives of women living with fistula.
He emphasized that the program is aimed at supporting all women in Nigeria who are living with obstetric fistula, irrespective of the geopolitical zone.
Ohiri said about 1629 beneficiaries have been verified paid for between the last six months of the launch to date, but that’s just a number that we have verified and paid for.
The Number of claims submitted is over almost 2000 and as more awareness you know about the program gets out there, we hope that there will be no woman with fistula program that with fistula, who will miss out on and so we are working with facilities, and one of the next steps will be how we engaged people to make sure that the word is out there for more and more people to come in.
The DG explained that the programme is a three-step process which is essentially one, identify and resolve whatever morbidities, which is a fistula, in this case, that the woman presents with.
“We identify and certified healthcare facilities that has the capability to provide the necessary secondary and tertiary care which is required by this women.
Dr Ohiri noted that the agency is working with the State Health Insurance Scheme to ensure that beneficiaries are enrolled into health insurance after the surgery.
“We have 18 healthcare facilities that are already active in the program across all geopolitical zones, in the Southwest Obafemi Awolowo University lae lfe and UCH Ibadad and they have the skills and capability to conduct the surgery,” he stressed.
Dr Ohiri states that the agency intends to expand its engagement with civil society, who are best positioned to work with the communities to ensure that their livelihoods are fully restored.
“It means that we have to leverage existing infrastructure work with stakeholders to make sure that they are included, and then, thirdly, make sure that inclusion mechanisms some of these people, it’s not just a medical issue they face,” he said.
Responding, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate said the programme has seen significant change in terms of the care, and the remediation the women who have obstetric fistula have received.
The minister explained the programme is reaching the vulnerable women who require the repairs of their obstetric fistula and this is line with the President’s direction for the health sector to ensure that we expand access to quality care, especially for the poor and vulnerable, and to make it affordable for all Nigerians, not to leave everyone behind.