‘Social health insurance policy to help bring quality healthcare in Zambia’

A renowned Zambian Economist has praised government for introducing social insurance policy.

Herryman Moono says the initiative by the Ministry of Health would not only improve access to health care but would also help reduce the cost of access to quality health care.

Moono was speaking in Pretoria, South Africa when he paid a Courtesy call on Zambia’s High Commissioner to that country Emmanuel Mwamba ahead of the Africa Social Health Conference being held in South Africa.

He said the newly introduced health insurance system would improve health infrastructure as well as reduce high ratios of patients to doctors.

Moono added that the policy was likely to improve life expectancy in Zambia due to the provision of quality health Care

He observed that the health insurance policy would further reduce incidence of evacuating people abroad for specialist treatment.

According to a press statement released by first secretary for press and public relations at the Zambia High Commission in Pretoria, Moono also called on government to ring-fence funds that would be collected by the social insurance scheme.

He said it was also imperative that past initiatives to raise specific funds such as the Carbon Tax and the fuel levy also should not be put in a general pool funds to avoid misuse or misapplication and the purpose and sector for such funds were retained.

And Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba welcomed the heightened debate around the social insurance policy intended to help meet the huge costs associated with the provision of healthcare in the country.

Mwamba welcomed government’s aggressive approach towards the support of social sectors that will help reduce high incidences of poverty.