Coronavirus: 5,000 Nigerian Health Workers Get Life Insurance – SGF

Coronavirus: 5,000 Nigerian Health Workers Get Life Insurance – SGF

No fewer than 5,000 frontline health workers have been given life insurance by the Nigerian insurance industry, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has said.

Mr Mustapha, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) of COVID-19 briefing on Friday said the premium for the insurance has been fully paid in line with the principle of No Premium, No Cover.

He said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was already signed by the Ministry of Health and key players, to make special allowances and incentives available for health workers.

”The Federal Ministry of Health working in conjunction with other MDAs and the health sector professional bodies have signed an MOU for various allowances and other incentives.

“In addition to what the Federal Government is doing, the insurance industry has responded massively to the call for support.

”The PTF has received the Life Insurance cover to the frontline workers on COVID-19 for a maximum of 5000 health workers who are employed to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

”The premium in the sum of N112,500,000 for the cover has been fully paid by the Nigerian Insurance Industry in line with the principle of No Premium, No Cover,” he said.

Despite risks associated with their profession, there have been numerous complaints of poor remuneration and welfare of health workers in Nigeria.

The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, was recently in the news for the wrong reasons when he said he was “not aware if health workers are being paid hazard allowance for the job that they are doing” in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Ehanire added that whether during a pandemic or not, handling emergencies is a “standard job they (health workers) do every day.”