Salaam Uwimana, a resident of Uwintwari Village in Rwezamenyo sector, recalls the woes that stemmed from lack of community-based health insurance — Mutuelle de Santé.

She found herself in a predicament with lack of financial means to afford health services; her child suffered from malaria and stayed at home in critical condition, as she had not paid health insurance. 

In a sad turn of events, Uwimana was only able to get her to the hospital late, which resulted in the death of the child. 

"We are three members in the family and I am the sole supporter. It becomes difficult for me to afford community-based health insurance considering that I do not have a steady job. There are many needs, including food, clothing, school materials and fees, among others, which I can’t afford,” she says.

Uwimana says that many people who have not subscribed to community health insurance fear to go to the hospital because of the costs they will incur.

"People should subscribe to health insurance at an early stage, or start saving early, so that they can pay community-based health insurance on time,” she says.

Uwimana’s is one of 330 households that were recently provided with health insurance under the social responsibility support of Kipharma Pharmacy in partnership with Rwezamenyo sector of Nyarugenge District.

The pharmacy reached out to the vulnerable community when celebrating its 50th anniversary last week.

Chantal Uwamwiza, the executive secretary of Rwezamenyo sector, said that the 330 are part of 5,000 who were found to be vulnerable out of the 14,000 population that live in the sector.

"One third of our population in this sector needs support, such as health insurance. That is why working with other partners is important. This fiscal year, health insurance subscription was at 68.7 per cent but with 330 households having now subscribed, there is a 10 per cent increase,” she said.

Giancorlo Davite, the director general of Kipharma, said that the action to support the vulnerable without community-based health insurance will continue.

"We sell medication but seeing Rwandans who cannot afford it hurts us. That is why social responsibility has to drive us,” he said.

Dr Zuberi Muvunyi, the director general of Clinical and Public Health Services at the Ministry of Health, said that pharmacies have played a big role in building the health sector in Rwanda, especially since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi when the country had to rebuild itself from scratch.

"As the Ministry of Health, we will continue to partner with pharmaceutical companies to build this country and pharmaceutical sector, because we are promoting quality medicine, quality drugs. In the health sector, we also have other activities — that is, a target to achieve universal health coverage,” he said.

We cannot achieve this target without good medicine, he said, adding that outreach programmes with pharmacies is needed to support vulnerable people in remote areas.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com