By Miriam Humbe
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has proposed a strategic partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Deputy Corps Commander, Corps Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps Osondu Ohaeri disclosed this in a statement.
Humsi Media Online gathered that the partnership is meant to improve emergency healthcare access for road traffic crash victims through the integration of health insurance information into driver’s licence and vehicle registration processes.
Dr. Ohiri made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed.
He was positive that the collaboration would facilitate prompt identification of crash victims’ health insurance status and eliminate the bureaucratic bottlenecks often associated with accessing emergency medical services.
He explained that the initiative would ensure that victims receive timely medical attention without financial constraints at the point of rescue and treatment.
The Corps Marshal welcomed the proposal and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Dr. Ohiri as Director-General of NHIA, describing him as “a round peg in a round hole.”
He noted that the FRSC, as the lead agency in traffic management and road safety administration in Nigeria, remains committed to initiatives that enhance the safety and welfare of road users across the country.
The Corps Marshal disclosed that all FRSC clinics nationwide are accredited healthcare facilities and revealed that the establishment of FRSC Health Maintenance Limited was conceived to integrate the entire road transport ecosystem into affordable healthcare coverage.
According to him, the programme is targeted at transport operators, drivers, and members of road transport unions whose population is estimated at over 10 million nationwide.
He further stated that FRSC possesses a database of more than 12 million registered drivers and is willing to partner with NHIA to ensure that health insurance enrollment becomes an integral component of driver’s licence acquisition and renewal processes.
He said such collaboration would guarantee enhanced safety, improved access to emergency medical care, and prompt treatment of crash victims irrespective of their financial status at the point of rescue.
The Corps Marshal also expressed the Corps’ readiness to work with NHIA towards incorporating National Health Insurance details into passenger manifests and other transport-related documentation to further strengthen emergency response mechanisms and healthcare delivery within the road transport sector.
Highlighting FRSC’s longstanding commitment to post-crash care, the Corps Marshal noted that the Corps was the first organisation in Nigeria to establish a dedicated ambulance service and roadside clinics strategically located in crash-prone corridors across the country, further proving its commitment to saving lives on Nigerian roads.
