From Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has kick-started the inclusion of retired policemen in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to expand welfare for officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The IGP performed the inclusion ceremony on Monday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Adamu expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for extending the scheme to retired police officers.

He noted that the inclusion would address the age-long quest for affordable healthcare services for police retirees and urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the scheme.

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The IGP, who said he felt an emotional and professional fulfillment, stressed that his experience in the police convinced him that the welfare of police officers, particularly after retirement, was a constant source of anxiety that impacted on their optimal service delivery while in service.

He said it was more worrisome when viewed from the perspective that police personnel dedicate the most active part of their lives in service to the country, at times under very strenuous and health-impacting conditions, while some retire with disabilities caused by occupational hazards.

NHIS Executive Secretary, Prof Mohammed Sambo, said the development was in line with the Next Level Agenda of attaining health insurance scheme for all by 2030, as approved by the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs).

He said health insurance was susceptible to abuses, but expressed confidence that the level of discipline in the police would not allow such abuses.