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The management of the National Youth Service Corps has announced that all corps members will be enlisted in the National Health Insurance Scheme starting from February 11.
The NYSC disclosed this in a statement issued by its directorate Sunday evening.
The NYSC statement followed a PUNCH Healthwise report that detailed how corps members who sustained injuries and health challenges during the mandatory one-year scheme have continued to bear medical costs, five years after the Federal Government approved that they should be incorporated into the health insurance scheme.
The story published earlier on Sunday https://healthwise.punchng.com/burden-of-service-despite-fgs-approval-of-health-insurance-corps-members-continue-to-suffer-poor-healthcare-bear-cost/ reported how one of the corps members, Zahra Akomolafe, was left to cater for her health needs after her involvement in a car crash while on her way to the NYSC camp in Enugu in 2017.
Zahra had narrated that the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Enugu took care of her and treated her free of charge but the cost of post-surgery treatment in Lagos was on her parents and was not refunded by the NYSC.
However, the NYSC directorate in its statement insisted that it was always supportive whenever any corps member is involved in an accident but noted that the flag-off of NHIS enrolment of corps members will start from February 11.
“It is for that particular reason that the welfare of corps members remains topnotch, and a cardinal policy thrust of the National Youth Service Corps.
“It is apt to put on record that Corps Members get medical refunds for sums expended on health challenges. This scenario usually arises when the Scheme has not been apprised of a Corps Member’s medical issue and he goes ahead to spend out of his pocket.”
“As soon as the Corps Member applies and it’s verified, he gets paid.”
“For the reinforcement of this policy, and towards ensuring a more holistic and quicker medical intervention, all Corps Members have been enrolled under the nation’s National Health Insurance Scheme.
The flag-off of this insurance scheme is slated for Friday, 11th February 2022,”