Reps tackle NHIS over unutilised budgetary releases

The House of Representatives has asked the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to provide details on the sum of three million naira unspent by the agency from its 2020 budgetary releases.

Chairman of the House committee on Health Services, Hon. Tanko Sonunu gave the directive on Wednesday during a budget defence session with the agency.

Executive Secretary of NHIS Prof. Mohammed Sambo had explained that out of the N144 million that was released for 2020 budget, over N140 million were utilised, adding that for 2021, out of over N740 million appropriated, over N400 million have been utilised.

The agency however, disclosed that the three million naira was rolled over to the 2021 budgetary allocation, seeing more time from the committee to provide the needed details on it.

Meanwhile, the NHIS has disclosed that Nigerians who are not in the government or private sector payroll can now benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme through a new package called Giftship.

In a chat with journalists shortly after the budget defence session, Sambo explained that “Giftship is a platform that can bring in individuals, families, people from various groups, people from diaspora. It can facilitate philanthropists to come and get premium on behalf of people in their communities.

“So this is a platform. We call it a master stroke that will bring about the total coverage of the Nigerian population. If you’re a philanthropist, you can pay like N15 million and cover over one thousand people. If you pay N30 million, you can cover two thousand people”.