FG Offers Nigerian Students Health Insurance At N1800

Students of Nigerian tertiary institutions can now enjoy the benefits of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as the Federal Government introduces the Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP).

The Executive Secretary of NHIS, Dr. Femi Thomas, said this at a one-day sensitisation workshop jointly organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the office of the Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Students Matters, Professor Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of the commission.

Thomas said TISHIP is aimed at ensure that every student are able to access good health service and at the same time contribute to the health of others.

“By covering students in our tertiary institutions, it means we cover lots of families.

"If we can have the about 3.9 million students we have in our tertiary institutions nationwide into the programme; you can imagine 3.9 million Nigerians contributing to the NHIS and out of this number maybe only 10 per cent of them will fall sick once in a year so there will be a lot of funds for others to benefit from.”

The N1800 Bundle

With TISHIP, students will have access to full outpatient care as provided in the NHIS standard treatment guidelines, referral protocol and other health care services.

All this will come after the students, full-time and part-time, register for the service at the cost of N1, 800.

TISHIP also provides maternity, antenatal, delivery and postnatal care for two pregnancies ending in live birth for registered female students, with their babies also eligible for 12 weeks’ post-natal care.

Interesting, even during holidays, registered students can also get health care at any accredited health facility where they reside.

A Popular Choice

According to the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie, who was represented at the workshop by his deputy, Professor Chiedu Mafiyana, two-thirds (2/3) of Nigerian universities have already embraced the programme.

Okojie however said "the universities not yet covered by the programme will soon join."

NHIS was launched on October 15 1999.