Opposition Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) President Jackson Silavwe charges that it has become increasingly evident that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIMA) is becoming a public health sector scam as opposed to ensuring universal access to healthcare for all citizens.
Mr. Silavwe notes that while most public hospitals are using NHIMA prescriptions to absorb themselves from shortage of medicines, NHIMA accredited pharmacies will ‘get rid of patients’ by claiming ‘unavailability’ of the same medicines.
He discloses that the party’s investigations have established that some NHIMA accredited pharmacies are turning away patients who immediately issue them with NHIMA prescriptions, on the pretext that they do not have the medicines or the system is down but when patients present themselves as regular customers with cash, the same pharmacies are willing to sell them same medicines.
He further alleges that some NHIMA accredited pharmacies are swapping medicines on the prescriptions with cheaper alternatives of drugs compared to the regular cash customers.
GPZ has since called on government and the Ministry of Health to urgently fix NHIMA if it is to benefit all citizens equally, adding that government needs to address the rampant shortage of medicines in health facilities to avoid subjecting patients to such unprofessionalism.
Meanwhile, NHIMA Head Public Relations and Communication King Marshall Syacika says while well intended, Mr. Silavwe’s statement is misleading and does not represent the true facts.
Mr. Siyacika discloses that NHIMA has signed Memoranda of Understanding with health facilities and pharmacies to provide services to customers, adding that NHIMA does not run any facilities and any misconduct is on the part of the facilities.
He says if Mr. Silavwe was trying to expose something, he should have engaged the authority so that it can employ its own investigations and get to the bottom of the matter.
