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| Dr Humba |
The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is mulling over the
introduction of a universal health insurance in order to cover Tanzanians from
all walks of life and enable them access health services.
The forum follows a research conducted in 26 district
councils countrywide by journalists from various media outlets on how the
councils can make use of health insurance funds to improve health services in
the respective districts.
“The new cover will enable all Tanzanians, even those
in the low income bracket to benefit from health insurance.
There will be an arrangement to ensure that no one is left
out,” Dr Humba told participants at the meeting. In another development, the
NHIF boss hinted that the fund is also considering starting fresh registration
of its members and beneficiaries in collaboration with the National
Identification Authority (NIDA).
He said through the agreement, the health insurance fund
will be able to reduce costs of producing new cards as it will engage NIDA to
have some of the information such as finger prints to be shared amongst them.
“With six million beneficiaries of NHIF and Community Health
Fund (CHF) countrywide, it would have cost us a lot if we produced the cards on
our own, but through collaboration with NIDA, we will save funds that should
have been used for the exercise,” he explained.
And in a bid to reduce congestion at major hospitals, the
NHIF boss has also said it will start registering clinics providing specialized
treatment so that NHIF beneficiaries can receive treatment directly from the
clinics.
“There are some complicated cases where patients require specialized
handling; it is our dream that these cases be treated at these clinics in the
near future,” Dr Humba said.
Officiating at the function, Deputy Minister for Health and
Social Welfare, Dr Seif Rashid, urged NHIF to ensure that funds are channeled
to buy medicines and other equipment.
“There are guidelines which were put in
place to ensure that the funds are well utilized to improve health services,
some of these guidelines required that 67 per cent of the money is used to buy
medicines and equipment,” Dr Rashid directed.
He also hoped that findings and recommendations of the study
would be forwarded to his ministry so that the government can work on them.
The
Deputy Minister also challenged editors and journalists to use their profession
to identify challenges facing the health sector and advise the government on
the best course of action in addressing the challenges.
The two-day forum, which started on Thursday and is set to
end here on Friday, has drawn over 80 journalists from all over the country. It
is also being attended by Mbeya Regional Commissioner Abbas Kandoro, Mtwara
Regional Commissioner, Joseph Simbakalia and other officials from the central
and local governments.
Source: The Daily News, www.dailynews.co.tz, reported by Alvar Mwakyusa in Mtwara
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