News / National
Zimbabwe hires consultant to craft national health insurance scheme
06 Apr 2019 at 02:59hrs | Views
HEALTH and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo has disclosed that government has hired a consultant to craft the national health insurance scheme to ensure health is easily accessible to all Zimbabweans.
Moyo told Senate last week that once the consultant completes drafting the scheme, it would be presented to Cabinet.
The national health insurance scheme seeks to ensure that health services are accessible to citizens in line with section 76 of the Constitution, which stipulates that: "Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to have access to basic healthcare services."
On the other hand, medical aid insurance covers the cost of an insured individual's medical expenses, and the insured person pays costs out of pocket.
"The national health insurance scheme is on the cards, and it is something that we are still working on because this task was given to the Health ministry," Moyo said.
"We are working with a consultant and they have since managed to give us a presentation, which was well accepted, but we are still making sure their presentation is up to date so that we present it to Cabinet, and the minute we get clearance from Cabinet, we should talk more about the national health insurance scheme.
"I just want to also hasten to say it is extremely relevant to have a national health insurance so that health access will become easier to our population. It is for the benefit of each and every Zimbabwean. It is for the benefit of the socially disadvantaged and is good for achieving universal health coverage."
Moyo also said the ministry had now paid for all blood distributed or transfused to all the patients booked at government health institutions.
"There is no payment which is to be made by any Zimbabwean in a government institution with regards to blood transfusion," he said.
Moyo said since it was now policy, the general population should resist if they were charged for blood transfusion.
Moyo told Senate last week that once the consultant completes drafting the scheme, it would be presented to Cabinet.
The national health insurance scheme seeks to ensure that health services are accessible to citizens in line with section 76 of the Constitution, which stipulates that: "Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to have access to basic healthcare services."
On the other hand, medical aid insurance covers the cost of an insured individual's medical expenses, and the insured person pays costs out of pocket.
"The national health insurance scheme is on the cards, and it is something that we are still working on because this task was given to the Health ministry," Moyo said.
"We are working with a consultant and they have since managed to give us a presentation, which was well accepted, but we are still making sure their presentation is up to date so that we present it to Cabinet, and the minute we get clearance from Cabinet, we should talk more about the national health insurance scheme.
"I just want to also hasten to say it is extremely relevant to have a national health insurance so that health access will become easier to our population. It is for the benefit of each and every Zimbabwean. It is for the benefit of the socially disadvantaged and is good for achieving universal health coverage."
Moyo also said the ministry had now paid for all blood distributed or transfused to all the patients booked at government health institutions.
"There is no payment which is to be made by any Zimbabwean in a government institution with regards to blood transfusion," he said.
Moyo said since it was now policy, the general population should resist if they were charged for blood transfusion.
Source - newsday
