International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) ISSN (Online): 2319 – 7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 7714 www.ijhssi.org ||Volume 10 Issue 2 Ser. III || February 2021 || PP 30-40 DOI: 10.35629/7722-1002033040 www.ijhssi.org 30 | Page Equipment, Drugs and Consumables in the Implementation of NHIS: A Survey of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria Ikechukwu Joseph Okafor Ph.D 1 ; Abdulhamid Ozohu-Suleiman Ph.D 2 ; Jeremiah Tersur Vambe Ph.D 3 Department of Public Administration, University of Abuja ABSTRACT The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is an initiative of the federal government of Nigeria to provide accessible and affordable health care services to a significant number of citizens. The scheme was enabled by Decree 35 of 1999 (now NHIS Act 2004), and became operational in 2005. Coming at the onset of the democratization process, the NHIS is the first indication of social inclusion policy consistent with the principle of good governance. However, progress checks in implementation suggest that there is considerable gap between policy objectives and outcomes. In the light of this observation, the paper examines the extent to which medical equipment, supply of drugs and consumables affect the implementation of NHIS in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The study which is a survey research was anchored on Service Quality Theory and employed the instrument of questionnaire to elicit data from Health workers and NHIS enrollees in nine health institutions spread across four Area Councils in Abuja, namely, AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The study observed that medical equipment, drugs and consumable are fundamental requirements of public health intervention, and the lack or inadequate supply of these requirements has severely compromised the efficient implementation of NHIS in the FCT. It concludes that state intervention designed to improve access to affordable health care services should be treated as a social welfare programme which often requires massive investment in a variety of medical equipment and consumables. The paper recommends that the NHIS should collaborate with Civil Society Organizations with interest in public health advocacy to ensure that only properly equipped health care providers with the full complement of health care professionals are accredited for its enrollees; and that the Ministry of Health should conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of NHIS health care facilities to ensure that stipulated standards of health care services are maintained. KEYWORDS: Consumables, Citizens, Drugs, Equipment, Government, Health-Care, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 30-01-2021 Date of Acceptance: 14-02-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION Over the past decades, many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMCs) such as Nigeria, Sudan, Ghana, Yemen, etc have found it increasingly difficult to sustain sufficient financing for health care, particularly for the poor. As a result, international policy makers and other stakeholders have recommended a range of suitable measures, including conditional cash transfers, cost sharing arrangements and a variety of health insurance schemes. Moving away from out-of-pockets for health care at the time of use to prepayment (health insurance) is an important step towards averting the financial hardship associated with paying for health services particularly for the poor. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution that social health insurance should be supported as one of the strategies used to mobilize more resources for health, for risk pooling, for increasing access to health care for the poor and for delivering quality health care in all its member states and especially in low income countries, a strategy also supported by the World Bank (Hsiao, 2007). These are the ideals upon which the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was conceived and established in Nigeria. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is an offshoot of the Nigerian National Health Policy (NHP) and it was established by Decree 35 of 1999 (Now NHIS Act 2004) and became operational in 2005. It is a social health insurance programme designed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to complement sources of financing for the health sector and to improve access to health care for the majority of Nigerians (Mbaya, 2009). It guarantees the provision of needed health services to persons without them having to pay fully at the time of need, because payment has previously been made by regular contribution by the insured or his employer or both. The scheme is statutorily mandated to ensure that Nigerians have access to affordable health care regardless of their social status. The intervention of the scheme is designed to cover the formal sector (Public Sector: Federal, State and Local Government; organized private sector, Armed forces, police and other uniformed services); the