The Managing Director and Chief Executive officer, SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, Dr. Patrick Korie has urged all Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to adopt the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard for treatment of malaria for enrollees.
Dr. Patrick Korie stressed that providers must pretest before giving treatment as well as the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) for enrollees, noting that quality healthcare is a fundamental human right which all stakeholders in the Health Maintenance Organisations must promote and defend.
Patrick also said a review of the 2018 diagnosis and treatment of enrollees showed that malaria is about 53 per cent.
He noted that Nigeria is an endemic zone with malaria, which he said is one of the highest cause of mortality and sick leave absenteeism that should be of great concern to all stakeholders in the health sector.
Patrick further said malaria is a preventable disease, which requires preventive measures and education of all patients diagnosed with the ailment.
“if patients are aware and adopt preventive measures, the cost associated with cure of malaria would be saved by the provider, adding that health education is a risk management technique that should be adopted by all providers to reduce incidence of diseases and reduce the cost of cure”.
Korie however, urged the government at all levels to adopt aggressive health education strategies to reduce the incidences of malaria and other preventable diseases.
Stressed that customers experience must be enhanced in the health insurance scheme being provided, as it is measured by good health outcomes, adding that the Health Maintenance Organisations must perform quality assurance functions through retrospective evaluation of treatments given to enrollees to ensure they conform with best practices.