Health insurance scheme a timely boost to rural folks

NORTHERN PROVINCE GICUMBI — The national health scheme otherwise known as ‘Mutuelle de sante’ is probably one of the most successful public health programmes within the Great Lakes region of Africa. It addresses medical needs of the citizenry throughout the year upon payment of only Rwf.1,000. This payment covers 10 percent of medical bills incurred after treatment. Claudine Mukankusi, a resident of Kageyo Sector in Gicumbi District describes health insurance as a lifeline for all Rwandans. “With the present high cost of medical treatment, health insurance is very important to rural peasants especially those whose daily income is less than Rwf.500 per day,” says Mukankusi, a mother of three. The Executive Secretary of Kageyo Sector, Pierre Damien Sharangabo says most residents have registered for the health insurance scheme in the area due to mass sensitisation by local leaders at village, Cell and Sector levels. “Ninety six percent of residents have registered for this national health insurance, out of over 15,000 residents we have in the sector,” said Sharangabo. At Muhondo Health Center in Kageyo, medics say the number of patients seeking treatment at the centre has increased due to health insurance scheme. The health centre director, Jacques Roger Tuyishime says limited facilities like beds, ambulance and lack of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT/PMTCT) department remains their big challenge. However this has not deterred the citizens from accessing health services. “The upsurge in seeking health services means that available facilities are overstretched. For instance currently we can’t guarantee the safe delivery of children born of HIV positive mothers due to lack of VCT/PMTCT department. HIV positive mothers are referred to Byumba Hospital,” said Tuyishime. However, despite the successes registered by this scheme, certain patients interviewed by The New Times at Muhondo Health Center said that some health officials don’t honour health insurance cards acquired from other health centres. This, they said, has forced residents to acquire multiple health insurance cards. “I have a health insurance card from Muhondo and Kacyiru Health Center in Kigali because most health officials don’t attend to patients not registered at their health centres,” one patient claimed. However, the officer in-charge of health insurance at Kageyo Sector, Jean Baptist Rutayisire refuted claims that there is discrimination during the administration of the scheme. “We don’t discriminate. For instance people who fall sick while visiting or on business trip to Kageyo and happen to possess health insurance cards from other health centres are treated at Muhondo Health Center,” he said. He clarified that only those residents seeking permanent residence in Kageyo are required to register for health insurance from Muhondo Health Center, even if they had registered from other health centres. Meanwhile, at Gatuna, border residents complained of having to cover long distances to access the nearest health centre. The proprietor of Global Interactive Network and General Business (GINGB), Vincent Gakwandi, who owns a coffee canteen, says he has registered all his 15 employees in medical insurance. But he lamented the lack of medical facilities at the border. Traders, travellers and migration officials have to travel long distances to Rubaya, Mulindi or Rushaki Health Centres in order to access medication whenever they fall sick. “We urgently need a health center at the border, because this place is like a home to many people,” said Gakwandi. Ends