Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum (REAF) appeals for pensioners’ medical care. They said that people who were in public services and retired before 2003 are not covered by the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) as the policy to cover retirees had not been established then.

The issue was raised last week during a meeting with Nsindagiza, an association of elders and other stakeholders assessing issues elders face and way forward.

The chairperson of the Elders Advisory Council, Dr Augustin Iyamuremye, said that not having workers’ medical insurance for old people who served the public their entire life was unfair.

"Lack of medical insurance for people who retired before 2003 is not even the main problem. The major problem is based on the amount of pension fees. It is very little to cover any insurance,” he said.

"As you know, RSSB is an insurance company; it works based on contributions of their beneficiaries. When you do not have enough pension fees you will not be able to contribute for medical insurance. The injustice is really based on pension fees”.

Iyamuremye also explained that there was a very big difference between people who retired before 2003 and the succeeding generations who work at the same positions and that affects the pension fees they earn.

"For instance, there is a former minister who retired in 2002 if he served 25 years, now he earns between Rwf 31,000 as pension fees. But someone who was appointed in 2004 can probably earn Rwf 800,000. Because before 2003 the salary was little, I think that is the main issue that the government should solve,” he emphasized.

79-year-old Athanase Minani, a retired public servant also said that old people with some incurable diseases which need special treatment and for a long time for which he thinks having Mutuelle de Santé (a community-based health insurance scheme) is not helpful.

"Normally, retirees are old and suffer from serious diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure that are not covered by Mutuelle de Santé, yet they need proper treatment,” he said

"The country should contribute to our treatment and health insurance coverage should be accessed by all former public servants, not just some,” he urged.

Elie Mugabowishema, the president of Nsindagiza, said there was need to continuously help the elderly access primary healthcare.

He proposed Geriatric medicine and palliative care services as solutions that can help in solving healthcare issues. And said it will be to all old people not only former public servants but also for other senior citizens.

"Geriatric medicine is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people. We can have people who are specialists in treating old people in every hospital as we have pediatric medicine. Mainly for identifying them and maybe lower their medical bill,” he said

"And also, we need strong palliative care for the incurable illness. We think those policies can help. First to give special treatment for our elders and to benefit any favor for their healthcare, "he urged.

"Our government should focus on those policies and even finance them to have a happy future for our senior citizens,” he concluded.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com