Cancer patients to get up to N400,000 radiotherapy support from NHIA

Cancer patients requiring radiotherapy will now obtain monetary support of up to N400,000 below a brand new cost-sharing programme launched by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, introduced the intervention in Abuja throughout an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying the programme was designed to make most cancers therapy extra inexpensive for Nigerians.

Under the association, eligible patients will obtain a 50 per cent discount in the price of radiotherapy, with the NHIA’s contribution restricted to N400,000 per affected person.

Ohiri mentioned the choice was pushed by considerations over the rising price of most cancers therapy, which has prevented many patients from accessing radiotherapy, notably these with critical or superior circumstances.

He defined that the NHIA was working with oncology centres throughout the nation to enhance the provision and high quality of radiotherapy providers.

According to him, the authority additionally plans to accredit extra therapy centres and strengthen cooperation with medical gear suppliers and pharmaceutical corporations to increase entry to trendy most cancers care.

The NHIA boss mentioned the intervention was not restricted to radiotherapy, because the authority was additionally widening insurance coverage protection for different cancer-related providers by its formal sector programme and the Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP).

He mentioned patients might entry a variety of diagnostic providers, together with MRI and CT scans, mammography, ultrasound, histology, endoscopy and tumour marker exams.

Ohiri added that some cancer-related surgical procedures, together with mastectomies and prostatectomies, in addition to chosen chemotherapy medication, have been additionally coated below completely different cost-sharing preparations.

He mentioned greater than 200 most cancers patients receiving therapy at seven tertiary well being establishments throughout the nation had to date benefited from the drugs cost-sharing programme.