New health financing strategy on cards: Vice President
Vice President Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan
What you need to know:
- Ms Samia said this during the 49th National Health Conference, as she was responding to concerns raised by the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) on the state of Healthcare financing in the country.
Dar es Salaam. Vice President Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan has revealed today Wednesday October 25 that the government is working on a new health financing strategy that would look into ways of soliciting funds from local businesses.
Ms Samia said this during the 49th National Health Conference, as she was responding to concerns raised by the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) on the state of Healthcare financing in the country.
Earlier, MAT president Dr Obadia Nyongole said that the burden shouldered by the government in financing people who are exempted from paying for health services was huge.
"We, as MAT believe that a special fund, to be named Afya Fund, should be put in place to take care of this. It can be funded by collecting funds from local businesses such as cigarette companies, motorists and so on," argued Dr Nyongole.
"Take this scenario. We have cases where motorcycle riders are injured in accidents. When it comes to giving them healthcare, we come to realise that they are not insured, but their motorcycles are ensured. We need to look into how we finance their treatment through the insurance or otherwise," explained Dr Nyongole.
In her response the Vice President revealed there were ongoing plans to put in place a "Health Sector Financing Strategy" that is somehow similar to what MAT was proposing.
Ms Samia said she was upbeat the ongoing drive to ensure Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was key to ensuring people are enrolled in Healthcare insurance schemes.
