NHIA Enrolls 71 VVF Patients in Kwara, Offers Free Healthcare

The Coordinator of, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Kwara, Hajiya Idayat Bello-Olaitan, says the scheme has introduced care for Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) patients as it enrolls 71 in the state.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ilorin that 71 women had benefited from the Free Fistula Programmes (FFP), with 31 of them already enrolled under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

NAN reports that VVF is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence.

The entity is among the most distressing complications of gynecologic and obstetric procedures.

The coordinator, therefore, said “government is focusing on crashing maternal mortality and morbidity through various maternal intervention programs such as NHIA-FFP and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC).

“Women with obstetric fistula are being attended to without incurring out-of-pocket expenses.

“Feeding and transportation costs are also covered for all program beneficiaries.”

The NHIA coordinator explained that the beneficiaries are also counseled on family planning and access to the different methods of child-spacing methods, as well as enrollment into another health insurance program under BHCPF by the state’s Social Health Insurance Agency.

According to her, it is part of the comprehensive package to ensure the prevention of catastrophic spending as a result of the obstetric condition.

Bello-Olaitan said that the authority is directing its strategic focus on those priority areas to ensure quality healthcare services to all Nigerians, especially the vulnerable groups so as to leave no one behind.

She also disclosed that other programs introduced by the scheme are cases of maternal emergencies such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, hemorrhage, pueperial sepsis, post-abortion complications and prolonged obstructed labour.

“These are among the commonest causes of maternal mortality and morbidity among pregnant women, especially the vulnerable ones,” she said.

She pointed out that the state is benefiting from the programmes, with many success stories recorded since inception in 2024.

“This is in alignment with the president’s renewed hope agenda, which focuses on education, health and social development,” she said. (NAN)