Zanzibar: THE authorities in Zanzibar are finalising preparations for the first phase implementation of the Zanzibar Health Service Fund (ZHSF), which is under the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Universal Health Coverage promotion.
“We are well prepared for the major shift in health care provision,” Mr Hassan Khamis Hafidh, isles Deputy Minister for Health.
He said that the ongoing completion of modern buildings for the planned new hospitals reflects the government commitment on universal health coverage.
Officiating a one-day symposium on ZHSF for journalists, the deputy minister asked the media practitioners to understand the development attained in health care in order to communicate or disseminate proper information to the public.
“We have taken a holistic approach in advancing health care services. We want to ensure people get what they deserve, quality medical care with modern equipment, so that patients can have ‘value for money’ services,” Mr Hafidh informed journalists as he praised President Hussein Mwinyi for the health reforms initiatives.
He said that the government through his ministry has decided to involve the private sector to improve health services by outsourcing,
“Management of the District and Regional hospitals, procurement and supply of pharmaceuticals, lab services, and radiology services, are now being run efficiently by private companies,” he said.
Mr Hafidh re-assured members of the public the government looked at some of the best practices in universal health coverage in Africa and Europe and that Zanzibar will be the second country in the East African region to implement the program after Rwanda.
“The mandatory ZHSF is implemented in phases; we begin with registration of all public servants before employees in the private sector and other people. No one will be left out, including the 25.5 percent poor households which have been identified as unable to pay for health services. The government will pay for the poor people,” he said as he downplayed comments ZHSF replaced the ‘Free health care policy’.
He said that since the government is subsidizing a lot, ‘Free Health Care Policy’ remains, “We have introduced the insurance fund as a source of income to boost the medical care budget. Health care in terms of medicines, screening, and treatment are very expensive. Our people should understand that free medical care policy still prevails.”
During the Journalists/media engagement, Mr Yaasin Ameir Juma- ZHSF Acting Director General, and Ms Asha Kassim Biwi- Marketing Officer of the fund, made presentations about the health services fund, basically how it will operate, and its benefits to people and government.
“We also ask journalists through their media outlets to educate the public about the Fund to minimize unnecessary complaints and misconceptions,” Mr Juma said.
The ‘Zanzibar Health Services Fund Act 2022’ was enacted by the Zanzibar House of Representatives followed by being assented to by the President Mwinyi and published in the Gazette.
The law covers all workers in public and private sector, workers in informal sector; foreigners living in Zanzibar where their residence exceeding six months; retirees; students studying in colleges or institutions of higher education in Zanzibar, except for those who shall be dependents of the Fund in accordance with provisions of the Act and all residents of Zanzibar.
