Afrigather D. Weis, Ph.D., is a Swedish resident and an adjunct professor of organisational behaviour at Wagons College. He suffered a cardiac failure when Waggons College celebrated its college licence award on the Nationwide College Fee’s constructing in Abuja.
Coincidentally, it was Prof. Weis’s first go to to Nigeria, and Wagons College, which invited Prof. Weis, didn’t profile his medical historical past. The Nationwide College Fee and Wagons College confirmed poor medical evacuation procedures, and Prof. Weis, an imaginary determine, is in a coma on the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Organisers of academic occasions don’t demand proof of medical insurance coverage, together with repatriation of the stays of individuals at Nigeria’s native or worldwide schooling occasions.
The College of Lagos and Lagos State College are co-hosting the eleventh African College Video games in September 2024. The Federation of Africa College Sports activities organises the African College Video games; the Nigerian College Video games Affiliation is the 2024 host.
Did the College of Lagos and Lagos State College require the Nigerian College Video games Affiliation and the Federation of Africa College Sports activities to supply proof of medical insurance coverage, together with repatriation of student-sportspersons?
A typical college sports activities internet hosting contract ought to embody complete medical insurance coverage. Does Nigeria’s insurance coverage agency supply bespoke services or products for schooling occasions?
Medical emergency evacuation procedures for the common Nigerian college embody telephoning dad and mom or guardians throughout medical emergencies, though pupils or college students might maintain a medical insurance coverage.
Usually, colleges’ information administration insurance policies expose them to potential liabilities from negligent medical evacuation processes as a result of they neither seize medical insurance coverage information nor require proof of medical insurance coverage.
A college in the USA demanded medical insurance coverage, together with repatriation of stays from a globally ranked enterprise college in Africa, as a result of the enterprise college scheduled a five-day research tour to the college.
Planning schooling occasions requires demand for medical and repatriation of remaining insurance coverage from every participant. Insurance coverage companies should intentionally accomplice with organisers of academic occasions to deepen such a medical insurance coverage tradition.
The thrilling session of inter-house sports activities in colleges is about to finish. There might have been no medical emergencies at these college occasions because of the individuals’ demography, but the danger of medical emergencies is greater amongst company and oldsters.
Colleges and the authorities should have an information assortment system that captures medical insurance information and most popular hospitals. A documented medical emergency evacuation process is healthier.
Planners of academic occasions owe an obligation of care to college students, dad and mom, and company beneath the widespread regulation, tort regulation, and Nigerian legal guidelines. Responsibility of care protects the security of learners in opposition to foreseeable damage at school or whereas on school-based actions going down elsewhere (Nationwide Coverage on Security, Safety, and Violence-Free Colleges, 2021).
A medical emergency is a disaster beneath Nigeria’s Nationwide Coverage on Security, Safety, and Violence-Free Colleges. Insisting on medical emergencies and repatriating stays is a security web in case of medical emergencies or loss of life.
Fictionally, Audu, a authorities official who represented the Nigerian President as a customer at a convocation ceremony at Furman College, suffered syncope, often called fainting. The college responded haphazardly, and Audu by no means recovered.
Medical insurance coverage at academic occasions is a proactive danger administration follow that promotes organisation, saves lives, and reduces monetary dangers and stress. Insurance coverage companies, hospitals, and private and non-private emergency organisations ought to supply the schooling sector bespoke providers on medical emergencies and repatriation of stays.
Nigeria’s academic occasions should benchmark in opposition to worldwide requirements in a globalised world. Admittedly, a tradition of insurance coverage has superior in different international locations.
Globally, academic establishments mandate the acquisition of complete medical and journey insurance coverage for individuals in international research, research excursions, conferences, and different academic occasions—a present of considerate dedication to individuals’s security and well-being.
Insisting on medical insurance coverage that features repatriation of stays shouldn’t be a box-ticking angle however a sensible consideration for organisers of academic occasions. Enough insurance coverage protection offers individuals with peace of thoughts and ensures entry to medical care and help.
Furthermore, medical insurance coverage for academic occasions facilitates logistics throughout emergencies, similar to medical evacuations or repatriation of stays.
The Federal and State Ministries of Schooling, the Nationwide College Fee, and related authorities ought to problem applicable pointers directing organisers of academic occasions to require proof of medical insurance coverage.
Whereas such pointers might not have the drive of regulation, academic establishments and organisers typically adhere to them to make sure compliance and accountability.
Repositioning Nigeria’s schooling sector calls for functionally essential elements similar to folks, analysis, actual or smooth infrastructure, and alumni engagement. Selling medical insurance coverage protection at academic occasions reduces dangers and enhances credibility amongst all stakeholders.
A tradition of medical insurance coverage for schooling occasions facilitates Nigeria’s achievement of SDG Objective 4 of high quality schooling (the International Objectives).
Enwe is a fintech, schooling, and retail accomplice at SRJ Authorized.
