NATIONAL Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) director general, James Kapesa has urged facilities where it offers services to open up doors to its members to fully enjoy benefits of the scheme.
Speaking at a spot check at its operations at Request Muntanga level One hospital in Kalomo yesterday, Mr. Kapesa observed that despite a large number of its members being on the national health scheme many are not aware of the benefits of the initiative.
The NHIMA chief executive was also elated to learn that an average of 10 people per day in Kalomo access services through the claims advance payment made available to the Request Muntanga hospital.
Mr. Kapesa says the scheme aims to offer universal health coverage for people both in the formal and informal sectors
Meanwhile, Request Muntanga hospital in-charge, Dr. Grant Nkhoswe say the institution has 349 NHIMA clients with the first client to access such services being in April this year.
“I did not know much about it, I only saw deductions on my payslip for health insurance, but the scheme is helpful because they way I have been treated here is comforting,” said Brian Kashweka , a government employee who was found in a high cost ward at Request Muntanga when visited by the NHIMA team yesterday.
And NHIMA public relations officer, Mutolo Mwamba says a comprehensive publicity package of scheme would soon be offloaded to the public to showcase the benefits of the scheme with the branding of health facilities that host its services.
Waste of time. Only employees are covered. For unemployed there is no insurance