Labour advises Buhari to return health insurance funds

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to return the billions of naira meant for the running of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which has been allegedly diverted to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), to the scheme.

In a press statement issued in Lagos, the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, expressed worry that if the fund was not paid back into the coffers of the NHIS, the scheme would collapse.

“The withdrawal of humongous sums of money in the National Health Insurance Scheme fund and its subsequent lodgement into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has gravely affected the operations and financial capability of the scheme in terms of growing the pooled fund.

“This trend if not reversed urgently will adversely affect the future activities and operations of the scheme,” he said.

The TUC president posited that the NHIS was not a revenue generating agency since its funds come from the pool of workers contributions.

He added that the NHIS was established by the National Assembly Act CAP.42 LFN 2004 to provide health services to workers at affordable cost while treating tertiary related diseases, emergency health situations, and to eliminate huge out-of-pocket expenses.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to categorically state that NHIS by the Act that established it has never been a revenue generating Agency for the government.

“The contributions to the NHIS coffers are funds pooled majorly from monthly salaries of dedicated workers, money from international donors and voluntary contributions from private individuals,” the union stated.

The TUC emphasized that the NHIS was set up to cater for the healthcare of its contributing enrollees whose funds were the breathing life of the scheme and by extension to provide universal healthcare coverage for all Nigerians.