The Ministry of Health is planning to start a sensitisation campaign in a bid to increase health insurance subscriptions. Though the country’s community health insurance subscriptions increased from 73 per cent in the fiscal year 2013/14 to 76 per cent for the fiscal year 2014/2015, about Rwf7 billion worth went uncollected in the current fiscal year, according to Ministry of Health officials. Dr Agnes Binagwaho said these inadequate collections have affected the amount of money sent to run public health facilities yet with increase in subscriptions, more money will be available. By 2010, subscription rate for mutuelle de sante stood at 91 per cent but along the way some mistakes were made that led to a decline in subscriptions, later forcing government to commission a countrywide audit. So far, several arrests have been made in Western and Eastern Provinces in connection with mismanagement of mutuelle funds. At least Rwf96.4 million meant for community-based health insurance, commonly known as Mutuelle de Sante, was embezzled in five districts of the Eastern Province, a report by a special audit team shows. The preliminary findings cover all districts in the Province, but Kayonza and Rwamagana. Meanwhile government is in the process of transfering the medical insurance scheme to the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), the country’s pension body, from the health ministry. Mutuelle de Sante has in recent years been marred by decreasing subscriptions and accumulation of debts, threatening the existence of the scheme, which was earlier credited with improving the country’s healthcare. Elsewhere, police officers operating in the Western Province, together with other counterparts in crime prevention including personnel under District Administrative Security Support Organ, received free HIV testing courtesy of Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The exercise began on June 5 conducted by a team of medical personnel from Kacyiru Police Hospital, and will last for ten days. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr Wilson Rubanzana, the coordinator for Isange One Stop Centers and Specialised Medical Programme, who spearheaded the exercise, noted that the exercise targets to offer free tests to over 100 individuals, after which counseling and sensitization sessions will be held on HIV/AIDS prevention. “Those who freely desired to know their status were encouraged to come along with their families and this will be the case throughout the entire exercise. We also have a team of professional counselors who talk to the families before and after the testing.” Rubanzana also added that, maintaining law and order requires healthy officers and crime preventers. This exercise indicates the importance of knowing one’s HIV status – and RNP ensures to supplement ongoing government development programmes in health, economic and social welfare. RNP currently runs a hospital — Kacyiru Police Hospital — and twelve health centers established across the country, geared towards supporting the country’s health development. In news around the continent, government in Ghana has suspended trial by Western pharmaceutical firms, which paid volunteers a mobile phone and about $5 each. Ghana has suspended a trial for an Ebola vaccine after complaints that locals were being needlessly used as “guinea pigs” in a country currently free of the deadly disease.
