NHIA Partners Roche On Cancer Patients’ Treatment

National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and Roche Pharmaceuticals have sensitised the management of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) to the cost-sharing treatment in oncology.

Dr Dara Olatoke of Roche Pharmaceuticals said their partnership with the NHIA is to ensure there is access to oncology care for Nigerians, especially those who are enrolled in the health insurance scheme.

According to her, the cost-sharing initiative is to help cancer patients reduce financial barriers to accessing oncology care.

She stated that the partnership also enhances cancer care accessibility, improves treatment outcomes, and shields Nigerians from the high costs of cancer treatment.

“Nigerians deserve the best in terms of a standard care and treatment, and that’s why we partnered with NHIA. In other climes, we see that patients are re-imbursed especially for Oncology care.

“But now the story is changing here, patients do not have to walk through this journey alone. The insurance is there and the partners like Roche, ready to support the patients,” she said.

Olatoke appealed to Nigerians to get enrolled in the health insurance scheme, adding that there is support as long as people get enrolled.

The head of Standard and Quality Assurance, NHIA-Kwara, Dr Saka Agboola, said the agency is partnering Roche to reduce the financial burden of majority of vulnerable Nigerians who cannot access healthcare.

“Currently health insurance is mandatory for all Nigerians. This initiative is for those people who feel left behind, as patients with various forms of cancer can access medication. Most of them tend to lose hope in life and NHIA felt that in all fairness and equity, there is need for them to be incorporated,” he said.

Agboola explained that Roche covers 50 percent of the cost of medication, NHIA covers 30 percent, and the patient is left to cover 20 percent.

In his remarks, the head of Surgery Department at UITH, Dr Suleiman Olaide commended the initiative, while observing that the cost of treatment for cancer patients is high.

He however appealed that the sharing cost should further be reduced for the patients, adding that the 20 percent is still high.

“We are pleading with the NHIA to reduce it to 10 per cent or five per cent. This will go a long way to ensure many patients are able to benefit from the initiative,” he said.