Outrage as pensioners are stripped of NHIS benefits

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector, NUPCPS, has condemned the removal of retired workers from accessing the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, describing the determination arsenic unfair and inhumane.

The National Secretary of NUPCPS, Mr. John Bisan, voiced the union’s displeasure during a two-day Sensitisation and Enlightenment Workshop connected the workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, held successful Lagos.

Bisan lamented that galore retirees were being denied wellness security sum astatine a clip successful their lives erstwhile they needed it most, contempt having served the federation faithfully during their productive years.

Bisan said: “I wouldn’t cognize whether the Director-General of PenCom is alert that erstwhile you crook 60 oregon discontinue from work — adjacent astatine 55 — you are removed from the NHIS. This is unfair.

“I cannot service my state for 35 bully years, springiness my youthful and utile property to service, lone to beryllium told aft status that I americium not entitled to escaped healthcare. This is excessively bad. This is the play we request healthcare the most.”

He warned that the argumentation had near galore elder citizens vulnerable, with respective battling wellness challenges specified arsenic precocious humor pressure, diabetes, and bosom conditions without the fiscal means to spend medicine and treatment.

“Many pensioners are dying due to the fact that we can’t spend drugs oregon aesculapian tests. The authorities indispensable reconstruct escaped healthcare for retirees immediately. In countries similar the UK and the US, the aged person entree to healthcare astatine nary cost. Why can’t Nigeria bash the same?” helium queried.

Responding to the concerns, the Director-General of the National Pension Commission, PenCom, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, represented by Mr. Mutiu Muslim, Head of the Commission’s South-West Zonal Office, said that PenCom had rolled retired a escaped healthcare entree inaugural for low-income retirees nether the Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to her, the inaugural is simply a captious portion of the Commission’s efforts to fortify societal extortion and guarantee dignity for retirees successful their aged age.

“Healthcare entree is simply a cardinal constituent of societal protection. The Commission is committed to ensuring that retirees, particularly those successful the low-income category, person entree to basal healthcare services,” she assured.

Stakeholders astatine the store called connected the Federal and State Governments to prioritise the payment of pensioners and instrumentality factual steps to reinstate NHIS sum for each retirees, noting that their wellbeing reflects the nation’s committedness to honouring those who person served it diligently.

The station Outrage arsenic pensioners are stripped of NHIS benefits appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.