Profiteering syndicate shocker, NHIMA survival under threat

Reports filtering through suggest that the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) is now under threat as syndicates engage in unfair operating practices under its umbrella. 

Human rights defender Laura Miti says she received unpleasant news from a concerned medical practitioner on underhand deals allegedly taking place within NHIMA accredited health institutions. 

Miti puts it:

“On NHIMA, a doctor just sent me this. My sense is unless it’s protected from greed and under-contribution, one of the best things to happen to ordinary Zambians in a long time will die. 

“NHIMA is such a fantastic thing but will be killed off by profiteers. The private facilities are doing all sorts of tests and procedures to make sure they recoup everything they must from NHIMA and so no, I don’t think this will be sustainable.

“A client goes in for the most basic of operations, they order a thousand and 1 test after which they send to another NHIMA accredited private health facility  for a physician to assess for fitness for surgery.

“This means the client pays more than 3 years of contribution on 1 visit. This goes beyond what we have known them as money spinners. NHIMA needs to be alerted of what is happening.”

Miti says at some point she was made to wonder:

“One can see from the long queues at private health facilities how popular NHIMA has become. Other than walk-in patients, the insurance is paying for ultra expensive procedures that were beyond the pocket of most citizens.

“I ask again, will this facility survive on the tiny subscriptions it is charging? My hope is that we won’t allow the health insurance that has fundamentally improved lives collapse under the weight of demand, before more resources are made available to it.”