The Managing Director, Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML), Rear Adm. Azeez Afolayan, (retd), has called for regular release of funds to the agency for enhanced healthcare delivery to military veterans.

Mr Afolayan made the appeal at an interactive session with representatives of military veterans’ groups in Abuja on Wednesday.

He explained that funds meant for veterans’ healthcare were released by the federal government through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) before reaching DHML for distribution to the services.

According to him, irregular disbursement of the funds has been affecting the agency’s ability to meet its obligations to retired personnel.

He said, “We are not asking for anything extraordinary. All we want is the regular disbursement of funds as approved by the government. That consistency is what will enable us to effectively discharge our duties to veterans.’’

Mr Afolayan added that DHML had exhausted its stopgap measures, making it urgent for NHIA to ensure timely release of funds to avoid disruption in service delivery.

Meanwhile, veterans who spoke at the forum shared their experiences with the scheme, commending government efforts while also calling for improvements.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Defence’s Standing Committee on Military Veterans’ Welfare, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, said the government deserved commendation for sustaining healthcare for retired personnel and their registered dependants.

Mr Durowaiye-Herberts commended the effort of the government in meeting the health needs of the veterans, adding that there was still room for improvement.

He said, “Some ailments are not yet covered by the scheme, and we are appealing for these to be included. Nonetheless, we appreciate the effort because at least our families are still cared for after retirement.’’

Medical personnel also weighed in on the concerns of veterans who complained about poor attention in hospitals.

A medical doctor at DHML, Oluwayemsi Aligwe, said the organisation had an open-door policy for complaints and regularly intervened to resolve issues with healthcare providers.

“Whenever personnel encounter such cases, they can reach out to us directly. We take it up with the facility managers, and the cases are always addressed. Beyond that, we emphasise prevention and encourage veterans to learn the process of accessing care. Once they are properly registered and know who to contact, the system works seamlessly,” she said.

Head of Veteran Health Services, Lt. Col Susan Dibal (retd), explained that the interactive session was designed to create awareness among veterans nationwide through representation.

According to her, each group across the 36 states nominated two representatives to attend the meeting.

She said the participants were expected to take the message back to their colleagues.

“Many veterans in remote areas are not fully informed about the system, and this is one way of bridging that gap,” Ms Diba said.

She encouraged retired personnel to remain positive and active in spite of challenges.

“I always remind veterans that they are still strong and relevant. Do not allow negativity to weigh you down,” she said.

The interactive forum, which brought together veterans’ associations and DHML officials, focused on improving service delivery, bridging knowledge gaps, and strengthening collaboration between government and retired personnel. 

(NAN)