Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), has announced a donation of N1 million free life insurance cover for each health personnel and allied professionals attending to COVID 19 patients.
The association also revealed that its members have volunteered to acquire testing kits and protective materials worth over N100 million for medical personnel so as to combat its spread in Nigeria.
The association Chairman, Mr Tope Smart, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos, said this was part of the NIA’s support to the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government through the presidential task force , the state governments, Ministry of Health and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
“Our intervention will, therefore, be in two folds. Arrangements are on to procure testing kits and protective materials for the use of medical personnel saddled with this responsibility. The materials will be delivered to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) when ready.
“In line with our profession as risk managers, NIA has decided to arrange a special life insurance cover for all health personnel and allied professionals who are attending to victims of COVID-19.
Explaining how the health workers would benefit ,he said:
“We have, therefore, decided to provide the following benefits to those who may be exposed to the following risks in the course of their duties: these benefits apply to all medical personnel all over the nation. The benefits are, N1 million to health workers who die in the course of discharging their duties in fighting the virus, and N1 million for permanent disability on the part of health personnel.”
He noted that NIA was doing this because it understands the fact that the frontline staff were exposed to a lot of risks and as an association, it felt the need to provide cover for them against their exposures.
Speaking on how to deliver these aids, he said, “We shall be liaising with Ministry of Health, NCDC and the state governments to provide us with detailed information about these personnel so we can arrange appropriate cover.”
Furthermore, Smart noted that premium for the free life cover would be paid by all insurers while the cover will be provided by life underwriters; stressed that the gesture does not prevent individual insurance companies from making their personal contributions towards the fight.
He gave assurance that insurers, on their part would ensure the activation of business continuity and disaster recovery strategies by providing the necessary support for the wellbeing of employees, clients and other stakeholders during this scourge.
While advising Nigerians to adhere to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other government agencies and institutions as they relate to efforts to curbing the disease; he implored policyholders to report to the association any insurance company that defaulted on paying claims, whilst calling on the public to leverage insurance to mitigate their risks.