OYO State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA), in collaboration with Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF), has rolled out a health insurance scheme targeting persons with sickle cell disease to reduce the financial burden of out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and ultimately to improve their wellbeing.
Executive Secretary of Oyo State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Sola Akande, said under the scheme, 800 individuals with sickle cell disease in Oyo State are to be enrolled to guarantee them fair and equal access to a fundamental set of healthcare services.
Dr Akande, represented by OYSHIA’s Director of Marketing and Quality Assurance, Mr Dauda Stephen, at the handing over of health insurance enrollee cards to benefactors, said health insurance is for everybody and is basically healthcare financing to get the maximum desired health care services.
“We know that those without financial capability experience sickle cell crises more often. So if the hospital bill has been taken care of, they will have more money to eat well and to do other things. When you eat well, you hardly fall sick. That is the angle from where we are coming from.
“So officially, we are bringing in people living with sickle cell on board. We’ve put them in the primary health care centres closer to their residence. So if there’s a need for further treatment, they will be referred accordingly.
“The whole idea is to reduce self-medication. That’s what we preach for everybody. Once you have it now, use it. Don’t do any self-medication. Before you take any drug, go to the hospital to see the doctor. Let the doctor run tests if need be, then the prescription will be from an informed decision by the doctor.”
Founder of SCHAF, Professor Adeyinka Falusi, stated that the health insurance will help people living with sickle cell disease, as they spend money on a daily basis on the condition of their disease, and some, due to a lack of funds, ignore their health status.
“So if Oyo State has decided to give them health insurance, it’s a great break for them. This will improve their health status because they will not be afraid to go to hospitals. As they feel ill, they will get treatment.”
Prof Falusi, however, called on the federal government to extend free health insurance to every Nigerian with sickle cell disease and include education about sickle cell disease in the school’s curriculum so that they learn right from youth about the disease.
“Nigeria is the epicentre for sickle cell disease. We can’t just keep quiet. In different areas, the federal government can do something. Let’s have a curriculum that teaches children right from youth to know about the disease.”
According to her, Bahrain reduced its population of sickle cell patients from 2.1% to 0.2% within 37 years, so Nigeria can do it.
“The government has to step in. Right from pregnancy, you do prenatal diagnosis free of charge. So the mother before birth knows that she’s carrying a child with sickle cell disease and is prepared to receive that child.
“There should be free newborn screening within a day or two that the child is born. If the mother already knows that this child will develop into an SS, she will be referred appropriately.
“By two months of age, the government starts to provide the vaccines till age years free of charge for these children so that infections are reduced.
“And then as they go on in life, they understand, they are taught, they are counselled, and the burden reduces gradually. And so, over a period of 40 years, Nigeria can bring down cases of sickle cell disease to a much reduced level. The number of people with SCD is increasing, and by 2050, if Nigeria does not have a national plan on tackling it, the number would have further increased.”
Read Also: FG vows to undertake holistic reforms in correctional service
