Women`s response to health insurance positive - NHIF

By Queenter Mawinda

NHIF Director of Marketing and Research,Raphael Mwamoto

 

Over 8,000 women, members of Village Community Bank (Vicoba) in Dar es Salaam have joined the National Health Insurance Funds to access affordable health services under the insurance scheme.

The NHIF Director of Marketing and Research Raphael Mwamoto made the announcement recently in the city during the launch of the Fund’s three-day training program offered to the Vocoba women in Ilala District.

According to Mwamoto, the sensitisation aims at empowering women by giving them education on health insurance services and empowers them to enjoy medical care benefits and manage health service expenses without intricacy.

“We are commitment to improving the adequacy and quality of our services and to reduce medical expenses burden on the community…” he affirmed.

For awhile now, health insurance scheme in the country was exclusive to business enterprises but Mwamoto emphasized that women, as the pillar of the family and nation, must be empowered to effectively boost social economic development of the country and reducing their out of pocket expenditure is a step in the right direction.

 

Commenting, the Chairperson of Entrepreneurs Network in Tanzania, Janeth Massaburi said that the response from women is enormous and they hope that the training will further rise awareness and increase participation. 

 “…by joining in the scheme, they (women) and their families can enjoy the benefits …” she stated

The Councilor of Tabata ward, Mtumwa Mohamed, a VICOB member, expressed deep gratitude over the project describing it as ‘a great opportunity for the entrepreneurs who cannot afford health care expenses’. 

“We are very grateful for the training offered by NHIF and we are hoping it will raise awareness on health insurance services as a choice alternative to paying cash…”