National Health Insurance Scheme on the cards

THE establishment of a National Health Insurance Fund is now in its final stages.

Chief director responsible for Public Health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Munyaradzi Dobbie, said this while addressing delegates attending the annual Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) and College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe (CPCPZ) Joint Congress in the capital on Friday.

He said so far, the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme was work in progress with an announcement on the outcome expected soon.

The Inter-Ministerial Taskforce involved in the exercise, includes the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development as well as that of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.

“The challenge with the National Health Insurance is that the committee is yet to decide who is going to run it between the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare who already have the National Social Security Authority (Nssa),” said Dr Dobbie.

The National Health Insurance Scheme seeks to ensure that health services are accessible to all citizens in line with Section 76 of the Constitution, which stipulates that: “Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to have access basic healthcare services.”

Nssa

Studies have shown that only 10 percent of Zimbabweans are on medical aid, leaving 90 percent without medical cover.

Like Nssa which was established through an Act of Parliament in 1989, every person in formal employment would be compelled to contribute to the Fund, which would be used to finance the public health system in the country including purchasing essential drugs and equipment as well as building requisite infrastructure. — New Ziana