The Oba of Lagos and Permanent Chairman of the Lagos Council of Obas, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has called on both the state and federal governments to enforce the enrollment of every citizen in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). According to the monarch, making NHIS mandatory and fully enforced would ensure every Nigerian benefits from the initiative.
Oba Akiolu made this appeal on Thursday while receiving the newly appointed Managing Director of the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, Dr. Sola Pitan, and his team at his palace in Idunganran, Lagos.
While commending the Lagos State Government for making NHIS enrollment compulsory, Oba Akiolu emphasized the need for enforcement and sanctions at every level. He said, “NHIS should be made compulsory for every Nigerian. The Lagos State Government has taken the right step, and the federal government can build on this by making it mandatory across the country. At points of student registration in schools or when students are about to collect their certificates, for example, the authorities can ask for proof of NHIS enrollment. Similarly, it can be enforced when people want to renew their driver’s licenses. In this way, every Nigerian can benefit from the scheme.”
Oba Akiolu also urged Dr. Pitan to utilize his wealth of experience to provide quality, people-centric medical services. He encouraged him to ensure staff members maintain a civil and respectful approach when attending to patients. The monarch further reiterated his appeal to the state government to review and improve the working conditions of medical practitioners.
He called on all Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration in delivering the dividends of democracy.
In his response, Dr. Pitan expressed gratitude to the Oba for his fatherly advice. He promised that his tenure would focus on providing effective, quality, and community-oriented healthcare services. He also advocated for the state government to consider upgrading the General Hospital, Odan, into a specialist facility to help reduce the patient load on the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
