At sh2,000 rural communities can access affordable healthcare

The health ministry recently launched a community health insurance programme to enable people in rural communities to access affordable healthcare.

The initiative dubbed: “Streamline Ubuntu” is partnering with 15 hospitals belonging to the Catholic and Protestant Medical Bureaus to provide healthcare services for a monthly premium of sh2,000 only.

Speaking at the launch, under the theme: Revitalizing Rural Health Financing at the Golf Course Hotel, the director health services – curative - at the health ministry, Dr Charles Olaro said the programme provides a framework to demonstrate that it is possible for individuals to contribute towards healthcare tailored to their income.

Dr Olaro further noted that universal health coverage is premised on extending healthcare to more people. In this regard, he urged its implementers to roll the programme out to other health facilities, and include key health packages like normal and caesarean section deliveries and malaria treatment.

He further said there is need to repackage the delivery of health services, putting emphasis on preventive measures to avoid people frequenting health facilities. “You should be able to identify the root cause of infections, and close the gap. We do not want people to continue going to hospitals and consume their small premium,” he noted.

Worth $350,000 (sh1.3b), the initiative enables members of community groups to access health services for acute and medical complications from hospitals they subscribe to. It targets to benefit over 150,000 beneficiaries in a period of two years. Some of the hospitals partnering with Ubuntu include; Kisizi Hospital, Bishop Asili in Luwero and Ishaka Hospital.

Some of the participants at the Streamline Ubuntu launch

The Minister of State for Cooperatives, Fredrick Ngobi Gume said in addition to the Parish Development Model (PDM) that supports economic development, the Streamline Initiative’s goal is to encourage people to take care of their health, consequently developing the nation.

Ngobi urged the stakeholders to ensure accountability because this money is from the common people. “When someone gets their sh2,000 and puts it in a pool, you should protect it because it is all they have to save for their life,” he noted.

Samuel Mugisha, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Streamline Initiative, said empowering community health schemes will pave way for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that is in the offing.

Mugisha said during tough times, about 30% of households in Uganda borrow money to pay for health services.

Prof.  Freddie Ssengoba, from Makerere School of Public Health, says if Uganda is to succeed in building resilience in its healthcare system, there is a need to improve health from many angles.

“It is frustrating when people fail to pay for treatment. After diagnosis and they cannot pay, they go to look for the money and by the time they return to hospital, the illness has progressed and their health deteriorated,” he said.

The launch of the initiative comes at the time when the health ministry is finalising consultations about the NHIS. Olaro said the health minister will soon present a bill on the scheme to Cabinet, and when passed, it will be tabled before Parliament for approval.

As part of the launch activities, each of the 15 partnering hospitals received a motorcycle to aid their health insurance mobilisation activities.