Residents locked out of market, as officials demand health insurance

EASTERN PROVINCE NGOMA — Hundreds of residents including vendors in Kibungo, Ngoma district were on Friday locked out of the main trading market place because they had no health insurance for the year 2009. Ines Ghislaine Nyinawumuntu, the district official in-charge of health insurance said the district and Kibungo Sector authorities reached the decision after realising that residents were reluctant to pay Rwf1, 000 meant for the health insurance scheme after numerous warnings since August. Traders from across the district carrying fruit for sale, like banana, tomatoes, cassava and their potential buyers remained stranded outside the market gates- pleading to be allowed to enter in vain. The officials insisted that only people with a health insurance card and RAMA (government insurance scheme) could be allowed to enter. According to Innocent Nagozera, an official who manned the gate, the measure had immediate results, as close to100 people had paid for the health insurance by mid-day that day. This method, Nyinawumuntu said, was a viable way of compelling them to pay and that it would be applied in other parts of the district. Of 247,116 residents registered for the health insurance scheme in the district, only 7,552 (3%) have so far paid. However, Nyinawumuntu was optimistic this percentage would rise to 10 percent over time - as the district aims at registering at least 58 percent of the residents before the start of 2009. “Residents should know that paying for a health insurance is to their own benefit. They should always therefore pay before they are forced,” Nyinawumuntu said, calling on leaders to always rally residents behind the scheme. “Some of the residents don’t know where to register from and this is why leaders should help them,” she said. Ends