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{
"id": 1032429,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1032429/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
"speaker": {
"id": 434,
"legal_name": "James Nyikal",
"slug": "james-nyikal"
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. In a time like this, you cannot go by the general rule. It is true that, in the general rule, pandemics are not covered by insurance but when you are in a nation and people are dying, you have to look at the policies. We are talking of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We cannot turn round and say otherwise. We are saying the NHIF is the body that is going to carry our UHC. We cannot do that. People are dying. Health workers are dying. If we are not careful, the pandemic is going to close all the health facilities, including private ones, by the numbers and lack health workers. Really, we have to do something. How do we do it? We have to work on the NHIF urgently, as much as we can, and see what funds we can look at. We have very many expensive benefit packages where we pay millions. What can we do about management and funding issues? Then, we must, as a country, find funds to treat our people. If we want to do it through the NHIF, then we must do a quick actuarial study and say how much money we need, and look at all the issues around and say that money has been found and it has to go to the NHIF if we are going to use the NHIF. Or, if you are going to use a fund, we just have to look for money and have a fund for treating people. This is not the time even to talk politics. In the future, and we have delayed, we need a social health insurance. Social health insurances can actually normally take this up. That way, everybody pays by force. For those who are employed, both the employer and the employee pay. Then those who are totally unable to pay, the Government pays for them. It has been done in other countries. That is the direction to go but in the immediate time now, we have to sit down, look for funds just like we have looked for funds for all the other things, take care of drugs, take care of PPEs so that we, at least, relieve Government hospitals. Then we can say the remaining bill will be paid by the fund. If it is through the NHIF, then we can do an actuarial study and say: “This is how we will support the NHIF so that it can pay.” I do not see any other way. In my view, that is the direction to go but to say the NHIF cannot pay and sit back on our laurels, I think it is not fair for the people of this country."
}