Health
Firm urges healthcare providers to prioritise quality service
Enitan Daramola
SUNU Health Nigeria Limited has called on Nigerian healthcare providers and its partners to prioritise the delivery of quality healthcare services to Nigerians nationwide without discrimination.
The health maintenance organisation’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Faith Nwachi, made the call on Thursday at the company’s 2nd quarter 2026 Providers Forum with the theme, “Improving Quality and Access to Care through a Stronger Provider Network” in Yaba, Lagos.
Addressing healthcare providers and partners, Nwachi stressed that quality healthcare service is critical in “today’s healthcare industry” as the country pushes towards the attainment of universal health coverage, adding that it is not just a formality to fulfil NHIA regulatory obligations.
She said, “We understand that delivering high-quality care in health insurance is not just about individual service points or one good provider, but about the strength, efficiency, and coordination of the entire provider network.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities. A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. A strong and stable provider network ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place and at the right price.
“Access to healthcare is not only about physical access or geographical access, but also about financial access. Quality health care consistently delivers the best possible health outcomes, prevents harm, and meets individual patient needs.”
Also speaking, the state coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority office, Ikeja, Lagos, Dr Bertua-Kasimo Abraham, stressed that adequate response to enrollee emergencies is key to achieving quality healthcare service.
According to him, there have been numerous complaints about delays in hospitals, leading to the enforcement of a “one-hour authorisation policy” and possible sanctions for erring health service providers.
“We’ve been having complaints over delayed authorisation in hospitals, and as a result, we held discussions with HMOs and providers, and we came up with the one-hour authorisation approval limit because there has been feedback giving a clear indication that this is a cause for concern. Time is one of the ways to measure quality in healthcare delivery. If you deliver belated healthcare service, where is the value?” he asked.
Abraham also urged hospitals to prioritise emergency cases over demands for authorisation codes from HMOs, as time wasted could prove costly for the patient.
On the issue of drug shortage at hospitals, he said, “We (NHIA) are coming up with a lasting solution to the issue of drug shortage. We consider working with hospitals, assessing their stock level. We will also consider sanctioning hospitals. It’s abnormal; it shouldn’t be the case.”
The NHIA coordinator also urged enrollees not to lose trust in the system, while stressing the need to provide appropriate feedback on their poor experiences through the appropriate channels, as it is instrumental to improving the healthcare system. “When you complain and don’t report to the appropriate quarters, it can’t be adequately addressed,” Abraham added, while advising enrollees not to hide the identities of unprofessional staff and hospitals.
Meanwhile, SUNU’s Health COO added that the organisation recognises “that improving healthcare outcomes is a shared responsibility. It requires cooperation between the HMO, healthcare providers, the enrollees, regulators, and technology partners. In all this, we must keep the enrollee at the centre of every decision we make.”
She promised that SUNU Health “will not treat (the forum’s) discussions as a theoretical exercise but see them as deeply practical,” while hoping that “the knowledge, experience and insights shared will translate into actionable strategies that will improve enrollee experience, strengthen provider partnership and performance, and ultimately expand access to quality healthcare services in our country.”
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