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NHIA Mandates One-Hour Patient Wait Limit For HMOs
Health Maintenance Organisations in Nigeria have been warned not to delay patients on health insurance plan more than one hour before receiving medical attention at their chosen healthcare facility.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director and CEO of Ultimate Health Management Services, Otunba Lekan Ewenla, during the firm’s 14th Annual General Meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
Ewenla, a former governing council member of the National Health Insurance Scheme, revealed that the mandate came from the National Health Insurance Authority following a spike in complaints from enrollees about prolonged delays and neglect at health facilities.
“Too often, patients spend the entire day at hospitals before being seen. This is unacceptable. The NHIA has now directed that the maximum waiting time for any patient under the health insurance scheme must not exceed one hour,” Ewenla said.
He likened the NHIA’s role in the health sector to the regulatory functions of the Central Bank of Nigeria in banking and PENCOM in pensions, emphasizing its responsibility to enforce standards, monitor providers, and protect patient rights.
Reacting swiftly to the NHIA directive, Ultimate Health Management Services says it has not only complied but has surpassed the benchmark.
“Today, our average waiting time is just 10 minutes, and we are working to reduce it further to five minutes,” Ewenla said.
To achieve this, the firm has deployed robust health management software and introduced a pre-booking system, allowing patients to notify the HMO in advance of their intended hospital visit. The HMO then contacts the hospital to prepare for the patient’s arrival.
“We even place reminder calls to the hospital on the morning of the patient’s visit. This is in line with global best practices. Healthcare should not be approached casually,” he said.
Ewenla stressed that quality healthcare is a fundamental right, and health insurance is the gateway to accessing that right effectively.
In what he described as a strategic move, the health expert disclosed that Ultimate HMO has launched an initiative targeting Nigerians in the diaspora who wish to support the medical needs of their ageing parents and loved ones back home.
“Many Nigerians abroad send money back home for healthcare, but this one-off approach often fails due to lack of follow-up care,” Ewenla explained.
“We’ve created a system that allows diaspora Nigerians to pay a fixed premium and enroll their dependents in a structured health insurance plan.”
The pilot has already begun in the United States, where Ewenla recently held talks with the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia.
The outreach has extended to Nigerian-run churches, mosques, and grocery stores.
“We’re seeing growing interest from the diaspora, and we are pushing for regulatory backing to ensure wider enrollment and compliance,” he said.
Ewenla, however, noted that attitudinal change among Nigerians remains critical to success, citing a general lack of respect for systems and rules.
“We all see how Nigerians disregard simple traffic laws. The same attitude reflects in how we treat healthcare systems. That’s why we’re working closely with the government and regulatory bodies to change this narrative,” he added.
Also speaking at the AGM, the Board Chairman of Ultimate Health Management Services, Mrs. Angela Ajala, emphasized the need for HMOs to prioritize patient welfare and warned against the growing trend of delayed claims settlements by some organisations.
“We take the health and satisfaction of our enrollees very seriously. At Ultimate HMO, we ensure prompt settlement of claims because that’s the backbone of our service delivery,” Ajala said.
She urged stakeholders in the healthcare sector to embrace innovation and adapt to emerging challenges, including the rise in mental health needs, telemedicine, and care for children with special needs.
“We must be proactive. The expectations of patients are evolving, and we must think ahead to remain relevant,” she concluded.
Punchng.com
NELFUND has rejected allegations that the Federal Government’s student loan scheme is being used to favour supporters or children of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, dismissed the claim as “completely ridiculous.”
Moreover, he said the structure of the application system does not allow political affiliation to determine who receives the loans.
Sawyerr spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
He explained that the loan scheme is operated through an electronic application process.
Applicants are required to provide personal and academic information, including their names and matriculation numbers.
According to him, the system is designed to establish whether an applicant meets the requirements for the programme.
It does not collect information that would enable NELFUND to determine whether a student belongs to the APC or supports another political party.
“I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party. We are talking about students; many of them are yet to vote, some of them are going to be voting for the first time, [and] many of them are not party members.
“How, in any event, do we determine who is a party member and who isn’t? Even if you are running a manual process, how do you do that? You can’t. It’s unlikely to yield you any result.
“It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,” he said.
The NELFUND boss said the allegation also failed to take into account the nature of the beneficiaries targeted by the programme.
He noted that many students accessing the loans are young people who have not yet participated in an election. Some are also not members of any political party.Executive Branch
Sawyerr therefore maintained that using political affiliation as a basis for deciding beneficiaries would be impractical under the existing system.
He said NELFUND’s focus is on Nigerian students who meet the conditions for the loan and are enrolled in eligible public tertiary institutions.
Sawyerr described the demand for the scheme as “overwhelming”, saying many students and their families were struggling to meet the financial demands of tertiary education.
“The demand has been overwhelming, because clearly a lot of people have struggled to get into these institutions,” he said. “They are hanging on by the skin of their teeth to stay in the institution, and this programme came as a rescue for them.”
He disclosed that NELFUND had so far disbursed about N162 billion in upkeep allowances to students.
The fund is also examining application and disbursement figures as demand increases, with the agency seeking to understand the financial requirements needed to sustain the programme.
The student loan initiative was introduced by the Federal Government as part of efforts to reduce financial barriers to higher education.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans Act into law in April 2024, paving the way for the current NELFUND structure. The scheme provides interest-free financial support to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions.
It covers approved institutional charges and upkeep support for qualified beneficiaries.
The programme was designed to give students access to funding without requiring them to depend entirely on their parents or guardians to remain in school.
NELFUND has repeatedly stressed the importance of an electronic process in managing applications and disbursements.
The system allows applicants to submit their information for verification before their applications are processed.
Sawyerr further insisted that the system does not discriminate based on religion, ethnicity or gender.
“We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.
“This is a system that doesn’t care whether you are of one tribe or the other. This system does not have a view or an opinion on whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, or an African traditional religionist; it doesn’t want to know.”
The NELFUND chief also spoke about the impact of the scheme on student retention.
He said available figures indicated that the programme had contributed to a reduction in the number of students dropping out of tertiary institutions, with the reduction put at about 20 per cent.
Sawyerr also addressed concerns surrounding repayment of the loans.
He maintained that beneficiaries would not be subjected to an unreasonable repayment burden, noting that repayment would be tied to their ability to pay after completing their studies.
Under the current structure, repayment is expected to commence two years after beneficiaries complete the National Youth Service Corps programme.
The NELFUND boss also disclosed that funds President Tinubu announced would be recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and channelled into the student loan scheme had not yet been received by the fund.
The UK Government has appointed Alastair Long as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, with a mandate to deepen economic ties and expand commercial partnerships between Britain and the continent.
The UK Department for Business and Trade welcomed Long to the position, according to a statement issued on Monday by the British Deputy High Commission.
The mission said Long would work with African governments, investors, businesses and institutions to strengthen economic relations between the UK and African countries.
It added that his responsibilities would include expanding commercial partnerships, supporting UK and African businesses, attracting investment and helping to build sustainable, resilient and productive economies across the continent.
“Long returns to a region he knows well, having previously served as Deputy Trade Commissioner and then HMTC for Africa between 2019 and 2022.
“Before taking up his current position, he served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain from August 2023,” the mission said.
Long said he was thrilled to resume his work in Africa.
He described Africa as the future, saying he had witnessed the continent’s “boundless energy and ambition” during his previous assignments.
“The UK is committed to being a partner that supports African and British growth by listening to African priorities and bringing the very best the UK has to offer.
“I look forward to engaging across the continent, with the UK business community, and with the UK Government team, to realise as many mutual opportunities as possible.”
Long succeeds John Humphrey, who had served as the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa since June 2022.
The British Deputy High Commission said Long inherited strong UK momentum in Africa and would bring extensive trade expertise to the role, as well as the focus and energy required to deepen partnerships and unlock further opportunities for mutual benefit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the HMTC leads the UK’s overseas efforts to promote trade, investment, export opportunities and trade policy objectives.
The Commissioner works closely with the wider diplomatic network and other government officials to coordinate Britain’s overseas efforts to promote UK trade and prosperity.
The office also has responsibility for the Department for Business and Trade’s work in Africa, including growing the overall trade and investment relationship, improving market access for British companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, and developing trade policy.
Long joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2002 and has held previous postings in the Middle East and North Africa.
He was educated at Clare College, Cambridge University, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
NAN
The Federal Government has indicated that the review of Nigeria’s national minimum wage will be addressed through fresh negotiations with organised labour, amid growing pressure for an upward adjustment of the current ₦70,000 wage.
The development comes as workers and labour unions intensify calls for a new wage structure, arguing that rising living costs have significantly eroded the purchasing power of the minimum wage introduced in 2024.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had earlier announced plans to commence negotiations with the Federal Government on a new minimum wage in 2026. The unions said the review was necessary because of increases in the cost of food, transportation, housing, healthcare and other essential services.
The Federal Government had also acknowledged that the current ₦70,000 minimum wage no longer fully reflects prevailing economic realities. Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the government would approach the next wage review as a partner to labour, while stressing that workers’ welfare should also be addressed through measures covering housing, healthcare, transportation and other social interventions.
The latest development has been accompanied by renewed demands from federal workers. The Federal Workers Forum recently asked the government to increase the minimum wage from ₦70,000 to ₦300,000, citing the rising cost of living and what it described as inadequacies in the implementation of the existing wage structure.
However, the demand for ₦300,000 has faced opposition from sections of the Organised Private Sector. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business groups warned that an abrupt increase to that level could fuel inflation, increase production costs and potentially result in job losses if businesses are unable to sustain the higher wage bill.
The debate is therefore expected to centre on finding a balance between workers’ demand for improved wages and the ability of governments and employers to sustain any new wage structure without worsening inflation or threatening employment.
The current ₦70,000 national minimum wage was signed into law in July 2024 following negotiations between the Federal Government, organised labour and the private sector. Labour has since maintained that the rapid increase in the cost of living has made another review necessary.
As the fresh negotiations gather momentum, workers are awaiting a formal framework and timeline for the talks, while government, labour and employers are expected to negotiate a wage level that reflects current economic realities and remains sustainable for the Nigerian economy.
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