Minister for Health Ummy Mwalimu has ordered the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to immediately suspend the new medical procedure which limits the number of attendances of patients at health care centers.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, the Minister also suspended the directive requiring NHIF customers.

Earlier, NHIF announced the six testing services namely; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CT SCAN, Colonoscopy Procedure, HbA1c, Oesophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy (OGD), Ultrasound Scan (USS) and Echocardiogram (Echo), will not be accessed without special permits.

Ms Mwalimu added that NHIF may have good intentions controlling the massive fraud committed by the health care facilities in the country but what they should do is sit with the stakeholders and agree on the environment in which Tanzanians can continue to get the service without interruption.

"The Ministry would like to assure NHIF members and Tanzanians in general that it will work on all the suggestions brought on and come up with a good way so as to fulfill the government's mission of providing quality health services from the health centers at the primary to the nation level," read part of the statement