Plans to separate healthcare provisions and collection of contributions from holders of Mutuelle de Santé, a community-based health system, are underway to promote improvement of the service.

Provided the plans mature, collection of premiums will be coordinated through the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), while the Ministry of Health will be in charge of running health care provisions for members of the scheme.

According to Dr Daniel Ufitikirezi, the chief executive of RSSB, there will no longer be agents at hospitals giving receipts to people who contribute to Mutuelle de Santé as the case has been.

Hopefully, this would place the scheme in a better position because in the same week Police arrested Rusizi mayor Oscar Nzeyimana over ongoing investigations for allegedly mismanaging funds for the community healthcare system.

Police spokesperson Celestin Twahirwa confirmed the arrest, saying the possibility of his involvement in the Mutuelle de Sante scam cannot be ruled out among other factors.

Meanwhile, Police and the Ministry of Health started investigating circumstances under which a 30-year-old pregnant woman died at Ruhengeri Hospital. 

The woman had been transferred from Bigogwe Health Centre in Nyabihu District amid concerns of failure to have normal delivery.

Olive Mushimiyimana, a resident of Ryinyo Cell, Kintobo Sector in Nyabihu District, died almost a week after she was referred to the hospital, which forced family members to report the case to Police, who are now handling the investigations.

In other areas, last week, Kirehe District, in partnership with Rwanda National Police, and the defence forces launched a campaign on the promotion of hygiene and the fight against malnutrition.

The district deployed a team comprising of three district officials plus a policeman and an army officer to each sector to sensitise people about the ways to eradicate diseases resulting from malnutrition and poor hygiene in a campaign that will run for a month.

Jacqueline Murekatete, the vice-mayor in charge of social affairs, said the campaign targets hygiene and in the long run will focus on eradicating malnutrition-related diseases.