NHIMA Director General Assures Sustainability of Health Insurance Scheme

By Arnold Tutu and Lufola Nkowane

National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) Director General, Michael Njapau, says the Health Insurance Scheme is not on the verge of collapsing.

Mr. Njapau says that although contributions to the scheme have been hovering around 100 million kwacha against claims of about 160 million, the Authority is doing everything to ensure the scheme is sustainable.

He says the Authority has removed some services, such as dental and optical, from the private sector and restricted them to public health facilities.

Mr. Njapau also revealed that NHIMA will further introduce a new scheme which will provide certain services co-paid by the beneficiary and the Authority.

He said this to journalists in Chilanga today on the sidelines of the NHIMA Media Training workshop.

Meanwhile, Mr. Njapau disclosed that 16,000 households in seven districts have been registered into the NHIMA scheme under the social cash transfer with support from the Global Fund.

The districts are Kasempa, Kitwe, Ndola, Kabwe, Lusaka, Chongwe, and Kafue.

Earlier, NHIMA Head of Public Relations, King Syacika, said the aim of the media workshop is to equip journalists in the country with the necessary information about the institution and its operations.

Mr. Syacika said journalists are key in information dissemination.