The Federal Government has begun offering free Caesarean Section (CS) procedures in more than 100 hospitals across Nigeria, according to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
NHIA Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, announced the development in Abuja, explaining that the initiative falls under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) Programme.
He noted that the scheme is operational across federal, state, private, and faith-based medical facilities located in all six geopolitical zones of the country.
According to Ohiri, women in need of assistance only need to provide a National Identification Number (NIN), which may be presented either before or after hospital admission.
He clarified that the determination of eligibility lies with the hospital’s social welfare department, which assesses patients’ financial situations.
“Once assessed, eligible women receive the CS at no cost and are automatically enrolled into a health insurance plan under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), managed at the state level,” he disclosed.
Dr. Ohiri emphasized the collaborative nature of the effort, which involves both public and private sector healthcare providers with the goal of tackling maternal mortality.
“The nationwide coverage is across key health institutions,” the NHIA boss stated.
He listed major beneficiaries in the North-West region to include Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital in Kano; Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital and Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital in Sokoto. Others are Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and several General Hospitals in Zamfara and Kebbi states.
In the North-East, the program covers Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Azare; Federal Medical Centres in Nguru and Jalingo; and Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital in Yola.
North-Central institutions include Federal Medical Centres in Bida and Keffi; University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada; and General Hospitals in Suleja, Mokwa, and Tunga Magajiya.
For the South-West, beneficiaries include Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Ido-Ekiti, State Hospital Abeokuta, State Specialist Hospital Okitipupa, and Oba Ademola Maternity Hospital in Ijemo.
In the South-South region, the list includes University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, and University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
He stated that the South-East had the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; David Umahi University Teaching Hospital, Uburu, Ebonyi; NOFIC Abakaliki, Ebonyi, among others.
Faith-based and private hospitals are also included in the initiative, among them St. Gerard’s Catholic Hospital in Kaduna, St. Patrick Hospital in Abakaliki, Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, and Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital in Kafanchan.
Ohiri revealed that more than 200 additional facilities are currently undergoing assessment for inclusion, which could significantly broaden the program’s reach.
“This initiative is a critical part of the government’s commitment to ending preventable maternal deaths.The free CS services are not limited to federal facilities; state-owned, private, and mission hospitals have been engaged to reach as many women as possible,” he noted.
He further explained that there is no formal enrollment process to benefit from the coverage.
“As long as a woman presents her NIN and is evaluated by the hospital’s social welfare unit as financially incapable, the surgery will be offered free of charge,” he said.
Ohiri urged the public to spread awareness about the program, particularly in underserved communities where the cost of delivery can be a major obstacle..