Health

ASHIA moves to end extortion by healthcare providers in Anambra

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2022

NewsDirect

…Says no separate drugs for enrollees in hospitals

BY OZO RAY, Awka

The Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA) has risen up to the urgent need to protect her numerous enrollees from the wiles of fraudulent healthcare providers who extort money from them upon treatment of ailments.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Dr. Simeon Beluonwu Onyemaechi, disclosed this during a phone interview with our correspondent.

Onyemaechi’s response was sequel to the complaints of some Honourable members of the House of Assembly who complained that some hospitals under ASHIA scheme engaged in sharp practices as they asked enrollees to choose between ASHIA drugs and drugs provided by the hospitals just to compel them to pay extra cost for drugs already paid for by the health insurance agency.

The ASHIA boss who explained that there were no such thing as ASHIA drugs, maintained that ASHIA has paid for all the drugs to be administered to her enrollees upon diagnosis and treatments in all the hospitals and health facilities under her scheme.

He said the agency has received such complaints and has equally gone ahead to delist hospitals who defrauded her enrollees, saying that the health insurance was intended to enable citizens especially those in the rural areas have unhindered access to basic quality healthcare.

The health expert said, “There are healthcare providers who attempted to extort our enrollees. It is a deliberate thing. What we have found is that in a bid to still get money from the patients, they deceive the patients telling them that there are inferior drugs that ASHIA would pay for and there are standard drugs they want to use for other people. But they are all the same set of drugs that ASHIA has paid for.They confuse them and enrollees because they want the best of services, they say give me the drug that will work and the hospitals will charge them extra money.

“But when the patients insist on ASHIA drugs, they go home and get better. It is just a way for some dubious healthcare providers to extort money from our enrollees. We have had a situation in the past where because of the devaluation of the Naira, cost of medications went too high, we decide to revise our drug tariff. We improved on all our prices just to ensure that our enrollees don’t get poor services when they go to facilities.

“All over the world, health insurance gives you generic drugs. Nobody gives you branded drugs for health insurance schemes. There is no such thing as there is a particular drug for ASHIA and a separate one for not in ASHIA. It is something used to deceive patients and extort money from them after ASHIA has paid for them.

“What I encourage everybody is when such things are said, stay there and turn the back of the ID card that ASHIA has given you and call the line there and suddenly you will see that those drugs they claimed are not for you will be given to you. So there is no such dicotomy.

“I am not an armchair CEO. I go to facilities. If you go to Regina Ceali hospital Awka there is no separate pharmacy for ASHIA enrollees. The drugs are the same. If you go to General Hospital Onitsha the drugs are the same. If you go to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala it is the same thing. You go to Boromeo Hospital Nkpor it is the same thing. So there is nothing like ASHIA drugs and non-ASHIA drugs in all our facilities. Most these are from very small hospitals who are bent on extorting our enrollees and once I get this kind of complaints, I delist them from our scheme.

“Recently two specialist hospitals in Awka were removed from our scheme because of sharp practices that we got the report from there. There is nothing wrong with the hospitals but the issue is that they extort money from our enrollees.”

Health

Outbreak: Zamfara Govt. confirms 4 deaths, 177 cases

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2024

NewsDirect

The Zamfara Commissioner for Health, Dr Aisha Anka has confirmed the outbreak of unknown illness in the state which recorded four deaths and 177 cases so far.

Anka confirmed this in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday by the Information Officer of the ministry, Malam Bello Ibrahim.

According to the commissioner, the disease is characterized by abdominal distension, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, enlarge liver, enlarge spleen, fever and general body weakness.

“The illness is found in Maradun, Shinkafi and Gusau local government areas in the state.

“Children are mostly affected and the cases are associated with water consumptions.

“So far, four deaths have been recorded, 177 cases were detected,” Anka said.

“The incident has been reported to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), partners and all other relevant stakeholders.

“The ministry of health is currently on the emergency response phase to identify the illnesses and causes.

“Various biological human and animal samples, soil samples, water samples, agricultural and foodstuff samples have been taken to Lagos and Abuja laboratories for analysis.

“The ministry will continue to update the general public and all relevant stakeholders and partners on any update about the outbreak,”she added. (

Health

Assembly passes Kano Pre-Marital Health Screening Bill

Published

3 weeks ago

April 29, 2024

NewsDirect

Kano State House of Assembly has passed a bill for a law to compel intending couples to undergo HIV, hepatitis and sickle cell anaemia screening before marriage.

The passage followed deliberations in the Committee of the Whole House during plenary session,
presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore on Monday in Kano.

After deliberations, the lawmakers approved the 3rd reading of the bill, read by the Deputy Clerk, Alhaji Nasiru Magaji.

Shortly after passage of the bill, the Majority Leader of the house, Lawan Hussein (NNPP-Dala), stated that “any person
intending to marry shall first submit self for medical examinations.”

He said the bill was considered and passed after the 3rd reading, following various legislative processes.

The leader further said that the bill was passed because the state had been battling with different health issues, including
HIV because people go into marriages without medical screening.

He said that the bill, if signed into law, would save many lives and curb the spread of life-threatening diseases.

“The bill will safeguard the health of citizens by institutionalising pre-marital testing to check the spread of diseases
like hepatitis, HIV and sickle cell anaemia,” he added.

Health

WHO to begin vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus May 27 in Kogi

Published

4 weeks ago

April 24, 2024

NewsDirect

The World Health Organisation (WHO), says it plans to commence vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) on May 27 in Kogi.

The state’s Team Lead of WHO, Dr Muktar Toyosi, said this when he led his team on an advocacy visit to the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Wednesday in Lokoja.

Toyosi said that the vaccination was meant for girl child of between the age nine and 14.

He said the ongoing sensitisation was to keep the people informed, and educate them on the vaccination of their children to protect them against cervical cancer in future.

”Kogi falls within the second phase of the programme. We are soliciting for the cooperation of the media in educating the people of the state on the HPV vaccination.

“There need for girls child across the state to take the vaccination to safeguard their future.

“Although the vaccine was initially scarce and difficult to get, the good news now is that it has been made available by the government,” Toyosi said.

Also speaking, the State Technical Assistant for WHO, Dr Ahmed Attah, said that the HPV mostly affect women, adding that the vaccination remained a preventive measure against the disease.

Attah, a former state Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and a former Chief Medical Director (CMD), Kogi Specialist Hospital (KSSH) Lokoja, urged parents and guardians to avail their children of the vaccination to justify government’s investment.

In his response, the Kogi NUJ Chairman, Mr Seidu Ademu, described the health sector as very critical, stressing that the vaccination was a right step in the right direction.

Ademu promised a robust partnership with WHO to enable the team to achieve its set goals.
He stressed the need to inform, educate and sensitise the general public on the need to embrace the vaccine by ensuring that girls within the age range were vaccinated.