Jumoke Adelabu – Abuja
Ongoing efforts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to provide qualitative healthcare services to Nigerians in all walks of life received a major boost over the weekend with the formal accreditation of the NNPC Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The accreditation which granted the National Oil Company the authority to establish and operate a functional HMO comes as a forerunner to the enviable plan by the corporation to activate a first rate medical delivery system across the country with potential to halt the ugly trend of medical tourism by Nigerians to other jurisdictions.
The corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Receiving the certificate of accreditation at the NHIS Headquarters in Abuja, the Managing Director of the NNPC HMO, Dr. Musa Ribadu, said NNPC, being a corporation known for quality performance, was ready to improve the scheme and offer real-time value to the prospective beneficiaries of its packages.
According to him, the NNPC HMO Limited is poised to be the most preferred HMO in Nigeria and a role model that NHIS would be proud of its unique healthcare offerings.
“We are confident that our entry into the market will increase the national coverage statistics by at least 1 – 2 digits. We have better knowledge of the Oil and Gas Sector that can attract active participation within this sector for the scheme,” he said.
The NNPC HMO boss said the initiative to invest in this venture was part of NNPC’s plans to diversify its revenue base and contribute to the corporation’s bottom line.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, NHIS, Dr. Muhammed Nasir Sambo, expressed confidence in the capacity of the NNPC to fully utilize the opportunity offered by the NHIS accreditation to operate an efficient HMO that will delivered the much desired first rate services to its clientele.
Sambo commended the corporation for its track record over the year, wishing the National Oil Company well in its future undertakings.
“I am not unaware that NNPC is one of the most organized organizations in Nigeria and since they are well organized we have no doubt in our minds that NNPC will do whatever it takes to uphold the virtues and tenets of health insurance in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He also acknowledged the corporation’s long standing culture and track record in delivery of functional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
