Patients have called on authorities to improve access to medicine at health facilities in the country. 

The call was made on Sunday, as the University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) celebrated the World Day of the Sick.

Vulnerable patients said Community Based Health Insurance or Mutuelle de Santé should cover a variety of drugs so as to respond to health needs of more subscribers.

Jean de Dieu Minani from Muhanga District, who spoke on behalf of the other patients at the CHUB, thanked the Ministry of Health for taking care of them on daily basis and sensitising them to adhere to various initiatives intended to promote their health, including health insurance cover.

He, however, raised concern over the absence of medicines mainly for the vulnerable subscribers of Mutuelle de Santé.

"We want to have enough medicine at the hospital because sometimes patients fail to secure [prescribed] medicines from pharmacies. There are people here from various parts of the country, but you realise that they get difficulties accessing the medicine because they often do not know the location of such pharmacies,” he said.

He wondered why patients with Mutuelle de Santé pay 100 per cent to get medicine at private pharmacies instead of 10 per cent.

The Director of CHUB, Dr Augustin Sendegeya said celebrating the Day of the Sick offers an opportunity to reflect on the job of health practioners and consider ways to improve it to save lives.

He promised that the hospital would raise the patients’ health insurance concerns with relevant authorities.

Dr Sendegeya said CHUB does its best to ensure that generic (basic) medicines that have been listed by the Ministry of Health are available at the hospital to widen access.

"Sometimes, however, the doctor prescribes medicine that is not on the list of medicine (at the hospital) and when Mutuelle de Santé card holder goes to buy it outside (the hospital), shoulders full price burden,” he said.

"But we do our best to store essential medicines in our pharmacy to widen their access.”

He added that concerned institutions are exploring ways of increasing drugs covered by Mutuelle de Santé.

CHUB receives patients from 15 district hospitals from the Southern and Western provinces. The hospital currently has about 486 workers including 37 specialists, 17 general health workers and 238 nurses.

The day was marked by mass and gift giving.

The World Day of the Sick was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers.

The day has, since 1993, been observed on February 11, annually.

According to Vatican Radio, "Entrusting Oneself to the Merciful Jesus like Mary” is the theme of this year’s message for the World Day of the Sick.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw