Women call for lower health cover charges

WOMEN in Karongi district have appealed to the government to slash health insurance cover charges, saying they still face a challenge of accessing health care without mutuelle, a community health insurance scheme.They made the request on Thursday during celebrations to mark the Mother and Child Health week. Chantal Nsengiyumva, 27, a resident of Rubengera sector and mother of two and a farmer, said that the biggest challenge to accessing health is when one has no mutuelle.“Getting the community health insurance card is so hard for me because the little money I get is for feeding my children and meeting their school needs. Rwf 3,000 may seem like little money for some people but for me it’s too much,” Nsengiyumva said.The premiums were increased from Rwf1,000 to Rwf3,000 per year and the Ministry of Health said the move was aimed at generating more funds for the scheme to be able to provide sufficient cover to all Rwandans.Others, depending on their financial capacity are now paying Rwf7,000 to access medical services for a year. She added that buying medicine from pharmacies is costly.Delfina Uwamahoro, 22, said that when she goes to the health facility without a mutuelle card, the nurses aren’t as receptive as they are to those with it.She said that they speak to them rudely if they come for treatment without the community health insurance card.One of the Community Health Workers in Rubengera sector, Dorothy Mukagasana 57, noted that mutuelle subscription was reduced but some of the women just expect the government to completely scrap it off.She called upon the women to change their mindsets and be able to spend just a little for the good of their health.Mutuelle subscribers are allocated to one of the three categories that include; the well-to-do who pay Rwf 7,000, relatively modest families pay Rwf 3,000 and the vulnerable whose contributions are covered by the government at a cost of Rwf 2,000 per individual annually.The government subsidises mutual health insurance programme with $4m annually while the Global Fund contributes $ 5million. Contributions by beneficiaries add up to US$30m.According to the World Health Organisation, Rwanda is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa in which 85 per cent of the population participates in mutual insurance programmes for their health coverage. As part of the activities the Minister of Health administered cervical cancer vaccine to girls, inspected Kibuye Hospital and urged people to ensure proper hygiene in their homes.Among the other challenges highlighted by the women in Karongi district is access to clean water and shortage of health centres.

National

Women call for lower health cover charges