If the figures are to be believed then there is something messy about the operations of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) in the country. They were alleged have frittered a humongous N351billion released by government to fund health insurance for citizens.

This was revealed by the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf at a public hearing organised on Wednesday by the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare services on the need to investigate the compliance rate of HMOs, and utilisation of funds as well as inhumane treatment of participants in the scheme .

Since its introduction, Nigerians have complained of its inability to address their health needs. No fewer than 450 petitions have been sent to the National Assembly by frustrated Nigerians. The complaints ranged from lack of attention by hospitals, delayed attention, low drug dispensing to enrollees in the scheme and sometimes rejection of patients because of the inability of HMOs to meet their payment obligations to hospitals.

Yusuf likened the scam among the HMOs to the fraud in the fuel subsidy scheme.

An overtly frustrated Yusuf said that there is no HMO in Nigeria.

He said: “Most of them their accreditation has expired. If by July they don’t renew their accreditation, they will be delisted.

“Biometric will be introduced in the NHIS register in order to reduce fraud in the healthcare sector. NHIS  will fight for the enrollees and recoup the N351 billion,”  he vowed.

In his remarks, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who was represented by Director, Hospital Services, Wapanda Balami said the amount ought to be for the expansion of the scheme but the reverse has been the case.

He called on the House  to sanction the errant HMOs.