250 Nyamirambo residents get health insurance

Never Again Club after yesterday’s monthly communal work awarded medical insurance to 250 vulnerable people from different families in Bugarama cell, Nyamirambo. ‘This is a reward to the people who participate in government programmes,’’said Emmanuel Rutabuka, the Executive Secretary of Nyamirambo sector and member of the club. He said that this gesture should motivate more people to be involved in developmental programmes. Rutabuka said that communal work covers activities like maintaining feeder roads, environmental conservation, cleaning neighbourhoods, fighting soil erosion, assisting vulnerable groups, among others. He also urged the residents to unite, embrace development activities and explore business opportunities within the area. “I am happy to receive this medical insurance, mutuelle,” Protégée Rutamu, one of the beneficiaries, said. “It will make a significant contribution to the well-being of my family. I believe it will contribute significantly to my financial sustainability as I won’t spend as much if any of my family falls sick. Mutuelle de Sante was initiated as pilot project in Rwanda in 1999. It accelerated sharply in 2004–2005 with the adoption of a national policy on the health insurance scheme and a roll-out of the schemes with the financial and technical support of development partners. Every Rwandan is currently obliged by law to have some form of health insurance. There are currently several health insurance programmes in Rwanda targeting specific groups of the population. However, the biggest in terms of membership is the Mutuelle de Sante whose membership is organized on a household basis. Each member contributes Rwf 1000 towards the scheme. Ends