By Abdullahi M. Gulloma Abuja
Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the inclusion of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed this yesterday at the end of the weekly FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House in Abuja. He said the inclusion of corps members in the NHIS was part of eff orts to address concerns over lack of medical facilities in the National Orientation Camps across the country. “Th e ministry presented memorandum that has to do with how we will prevent unnecessary death among youth Corp members across the country.
Council approved the memo that, henceforth, we will include NYSC members in the National Health Insurance Scheme across the country. “Th is will guarantee access to quality care across the country, prevent unnecessary deaths and also ensure our youth corps members receive the highest attainable level of care across the country,” he said. He said the council also received memo on the renewal of the memorandum of understanding between Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). “Th is MoU has to do with the procurement and distribution of contraceptives commodities across the country.
Th e federal government has the policy of free distribution of contraceptives commodities and services across the country. We have renewed the MoU today to last for the next four years between 2017 and 2020. And that we will also continue to provide eff ective safe voluntary contraceptives services across.” Th e minister said ministry also presented a report on the state of public health services across to council which indicates that government has succeeded in addressing some health challenges in the country. “We have formally declared the meningitis outbreak over in the country. We also informed FEC that we have not recorded new cases of Polio in the country in 2017. We have recorded seven new cases of Lassa fever across the country and the cholera outbreak in Kwara state has also fi zzled out.”
