Insure Workers against Occupational health Hazards, SOEHPON Tells FG

Martins Ifijeh

The Society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physicians of Nigeria (SOEHPON) has called for exploration of potentials of health insurance and compensation towards ensuring the occupational health and the safety of Nigerian workers.

Making the call in Lagos, SOEHPON National President, Dr. Effiem Jackson Abbah, said the occupational health, safety and the general welfare of Nigerian workers were non-negotiable.

Abbah who spoke during the society’s 2019 annual conference, themed ‘Occupational Health and Insurance’, argued that the move was borne out of the need to explore the health insurance in general and workers’ compensation in particular.

“This is in recognition of the persistent hazards inherent in the work environment that continually exposes workers to dangers that invariably lead to injuries and occasional fatalities.

“Whereas creating awareness about health insurance and improving accessibility to workers compensation is at the end of the spectrum in protecting workers’ health. It is a critical element that needs to be flagged and efficiently deployed for the workers’ benefit.”

Urging all relevant stakeholders to facilitate processes that would enhance working conditions towards occupational safety and health in the workplace, the Managing Director/CEO of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Adebayo Somefun, decried the poor coverage of employment of injury compensation in Nigeria and other African countries.