TheCable

Nasir Sambo, executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), says the agency is committed to protecting Nigerians against COVID-19.

Sambo spoke while handing over a consignment of personal protective equipment to Mohammed Umar, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at its headquarters in Abuja.

Sambo commended the strategies and initiatives being deployed by the federal government through the ministry of health, presidential task force on COVID-19 and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to protect the lives of Nigerians.

He, however, expressed concern for institutions and personnel providing essential services whose nature of work pre-disposes them to high risk of infection.

Sambo said no effort must be spared to ensure the protection of those in the line of duty.

This, he said, is responsible for “the prompt response of the NHIS to requests from the PTF on COVID-19 for assistance in the provision of personal protection equipment for officers of strategic agencies such as the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the EFCC”.

The NHIS boss said the agency recently extended similar gesture to personnel of healthcare providers through the government of some states with high burden of COVID-19.

He added that this is being done to protect frontline health workers from possible infection while they provide services to health seekers, and to also stem the reported abandonment of duty posts by some health workers for fear of contracting the virus.