In a meeting that brought together the Rusizi District Mayor Oscar Nzeyimana and different local leaders including executive secretaries from all sectors and cells, directors of Health Centers, financial managers of Mutuelle de santé health insurance the statistics of people participating in medical insurances for 2012/2013 were reviewed.
Many residents however haven’t participated in the local Mutuelle de santé insurance and the number of participants is still little compared to the people’s population. 76 percent of the population in the district including government beneficiaries in medical insurance that is to say the very poor, poor and the vulnerable and the self sustaining class of people participated in this exercise.
The exercise of people paying contributions to the local mutuelle de santé is set to be completed on the 28th.Feb.2013. The district mayor asked all leaders to move to people, explain to them about the importance of this insurance and to make sure by the closing date; about 90% of the population are insured medically.
“We are determining reasons to why people are not participating in this medical insurance fully. It is possible that local leaders never took enough time to sensitize people” says Francoise Nirere the vice mayor for social affairs.
According to the army commander in Nyamasheke district col. Rutikanga, local leaders have to play a role to sensitize local people about the medical insurance for the sake of good health to all. He pointed out that local leaders are too busy working and don’t take time to make people realise they have to participate in mutuelle de santé without hurting anyone.
Among the resolutions reached, leaders have to work hard to increase the number of people participating in this medical insurance; the National Police of Rwanda have to make a follow up on association leaders who collected money to pay for their members’ medical insurance and used them. Churches should also participate in giving alms to the poor and vulnerable by paying for their medical insurance
