Nigeria Union of Pensioners to establish hospital to cater for the needs of its members

NIGERIA Union of Pensioners (Nup) plans to establish an hospital to take care of the health need of its members and their family under an ambitious scheme to end the endless suffering the elderly face in society.

One of the most neglected set of Nigerians, pensioners are regularly owed arrears, cannot afford healthcare and struggle to make ends meet. In a bid to end their suffering, the Nup president Dr Abel Afolayan said the new scheme will be introduced to allay some of the suffering pensioners face.

Speaking as the executive secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Sharon Ikeazor announced that the agency was in talks with the National Health Insurance Scheme to capture pensioners in the health insurance scheme, he added that healthcare is a major priority. Retired workers are automatically removed from the health insurance scheme but PTAD is of the view that the pensioners need the scheme more when they retire as they get older.

According to Dr Afolayan, when established, the hospital will provide comprehensive health coverage for members of the union and their families as well as other unions and Nigerians. He said the union is also planning to establish a radio and television station to serve as a tool of easily reaching out to its members and serve as a pressure tool to constantly engage the government and enlighten members if the public on pension matters.

Dr Afolayan said the Nup was seeking the assistance of development partners and other stakeholders in actualising the projects which he said will be of immense benefit to members of the union and their families. Ms Ikeazor said one of her priority in the agency is to ensure that pensioners get the desired attention, especially in the area of health coverage, pointing out that it was out place for retirees to be removed from the National Health Insurance Scheme.

She also disclosed that the agency is working hard to clear the balance of the 33% pension arrears before the end of the year, while computing the data of pensioners who have so far been verified for inclusion into the pension data base. According to Ms Ikeazor, plans are under way to establish an office in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital to take care of the needs of pensioners  in the northeast in line with the current administration’s determine to ensure the welfare of pensioners across the country.