Corps members enrol in NHIS

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), on Friday in Abuja, flagged off the enrolment of corps members into the national health insurance scheme.

At the flag-off ceremony, Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General, NYSC, said that the health insurance scheme would provide health coverage to corps members from pre-orientation to three weeks after disengagement from the service.

Ibrahim said that the enrolment of corps members into the health insurance scheme was a decision by President Muhammadu Buhari, which aimed at improving the welfare and security of corps members during service.

“Today’s event is the culmination of the Presidential directive issued in 2016, which arose as a result of the unfortunate deaths of three corps members deployed to Kano, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states’ orientation camps.”

“This health initiative, known as the NYSC Group Individual Family Social Health Insurance programme (GIFSHIP), covers the period of pre-orientation, to three weeks after disengagement from service.”

“For effective implementation, six Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) from the six Geo-Political zones of the country have been selected to drive the process,” Ibrahim said.

According to the NYSC director-general, the scheme has put in place an adequate mechanism to monitor the enrolment and service delivery procedures of the HMOs to prevent failure.

Ibrahim also assured that the NYSC would supervise and continually monitor the operations of the health scheme to ensure that operations are seamless.

Mohammed Sambo, the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, urged all HMOs and healthcare providers to work according to the rules governing the operations of the NHIS.

This is to enable corps members benefit from the services.

“A lot of work has been undertaken in the areas of developing the framework that will enable the NHIS and the NYSC to administer this programme seamlessly.”

“In 2021, we got the approval and inclusion of funding for the NYSC coverage. I am sure that this programme will be implemented without any hitch,” Sambo said.

Mr Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, commended the initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari in enrolling corps members into the NHIS as they play a critical role in national development.

Dare said: “This gesture on the part of the Federal Government is an appreciation of the invaluable contribution of the NYSC to the unity and development of Nigeria.

“It is also a clear testimony to the government’s sincere and noble desire to improve the lives of the youth who will always remain our hope for a prosperous and united Nigeria,” he said.

The flag-off ceremony which was held at the NYSC Headquarters had in attendance representatives of the Minister of Health, Minister of Budget, and National Planning, the NYSC Governing Board, and experts in public health.