Concord Times (Freetown)
Rachel Horner
4 November 2008
With support from the international labour organization, ILO, national social security and insurance trust (NASSIT) and the ministry of health and sanitation have started assessing the possibility of establishing a national health insurance scheme in Sierra Leone.
Making presentation on the preliminary assessment, options, concept and recommendations of the scheme at the conference hall of the health ministry director of operations NASSIT, Mohamed Gondoe underscored the importance of the scheme, noting that majority of sierra Leoneans could not afford healthcare user fee due to the rate of poverty.
He said a series of studies have been conducted, a study tour in Ghana and Tanzania, depicting that there was high financial burden on the poor and low utilization of healthcare services.
Gondoe said the ultimate goal of the scheme was to ensure access to quality healthcare services for both the poor and the rich, adding that one of the options was to finance and manage a sustainable healthcare delivery system and equitable distribution to all categories of members.
He reiterated the need for a nationwide awareness raising campaign and sensitization of communities with a view to ensuring that the public build confidence on the scheme with regards its importance and benefits, stressing also the need for high political commitment.
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