Chris Mbunwe
4 July 2008
The Ministry of Public Health has begun promoting mutual health districts in its five-year strategic plan to improve the population's access to quality health care.
In line with this programme, the Northwest Provincial Special Fund for Health with the support from the German Technical Cooperation, GTZ, is promoting Mutual Health Organisations, MHOs, in the various health districts of the province.
MHO is a community-based micro health insurance scheme owned and managed by the local people.It is based on the principle of solidarity where funds are pooled into a common basket to solve health problems of members. Accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, access to health care and safety are the focus.
During a recent meeting at the Northwest Delegation of Public Health, Dr. Gerd Eppel, GTZ Director, said the third review of Special Fund for Mutual Health Organisation promotion reveals an impressive increase from 17,853 beneficiaries to 51,000 as of April this year.
The challenge this year, Dr. Eppel said, is to strengthen the newly created MHOs to make them viable and sustainable before increasing the number.Over billing and low recovery rate were identified as some of the existing problems.
The GTZ Director said tools and procedures have been improved to bring more accountability, effectiveness, efficiency and transparency in the management of MHOs.
He said the MHOs are on the right track and are meeting the expectations of the population.
Another step forward, Dr. Eppel went on, has been taken toward poverty alleviation with the introduction of HIV care in the package of MHOs through a reinsurance fund that is managed by the Special Fund.
This fund will be reinforced by subsidies from other donor organisations to enlarge the benefit package of MHOs and may decrease the amount of contributions.Dr. Eppel pledged that the German-Cameroon health and aids programme will continue its support to MHOs at both the national and provincial levels by strengthening the special funds which would trickle down to the grassroots.
Northwest Public Health Delegate, Dr. Victor Ndiforchu, expressed gratitude to the managers of the MHOs for the achievements recorded within a few years.One of the managers of MHOs, Mrs. Mildred Njamshi, of the Northwest Special Fund for Health, said in order to benefit from health care services, one must complete an annual contribution of FCFA 3,500 for at least four members of his household who are registered members.
When sick, she said, the person would present his/her membership card to the medical staff of his area and would receive health care delivery at various levels - consultation, laboratory, drugs, hospitalisation, surgeries and deliveries.
At the end, the individual pays 25 percent of the total bill of treatment and no payment at all for HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic infections.Njamshi said that in Bui Division, 104 MHOs members living with HIV/AIDS have received free treatment so far.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
