By Chioma Obinna
Stakeholders in the health sector have identified community health insurance as a panacea to a quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria even as a call has ben made for  urgent implementation of community based health insurance across the Federation as means of reducing out of pocket payment syndrome.

Making the observation during the just concluded 4th West African Health Exhibition and Conference in Lagos observers said community health insurance would guarantee to some extent uniformity, continuity and sustainability in health care delivery.

Medical Director, Premier Medical International, a Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), Dr. Kayode Obembe opined that health insurance must be compulsory and that the three arms of government must address the issue seriously.

He recommended 2 per cent profit of the Health Insurance Fund declared by corporate organisations be released through the NHIS to communities as counterpart funding to take care of subsidy gap.

He said for effective and functional health insurance,  primary healthcare operations should be channeled through the framework of premium and co-payments tailored to match the ability of enrollees to pay.

Obembe further called for establishment of a Community Health Insurance Fund  domiciled in the bank nearest to or within that ward/community and operated as public fund to ensure accountability, transparency with regular auditing.

He  advocated for the integration of Health Insurance into the curriculum of medical schools.

He charged the NHIS management to be more proactive in its regulatory functions by sharing all the 774 local governments to all the HMOs. In his lecture entitled, “Community Based Health Insurance as a Panacea for Affordable and Quality Health Service Delivery:  Ikosi – Isheri Local government experience”, Hon. Kunle Soname who noted that the experience in Ikosi – Isheri mutual health plan said it has provided invaluable understanding to provide broad multifaceted problems of human societies.

Stating that the scheme which is targeted at 70,000 persons in the community with premium of N800.00 has made significant positive impact on the lives of the people, improved access to health care, availability of health infrasturctures, health workers and health commodities, availability of round- the -clock health services within the community amongst others.