Doctors association says they expect better services from NHIF

Dar es Salaam. The Association of Medical Doctors of Tanzania (APHYTA) has said the NHIF’s upcoming health insurance packages should ensure smooth access to healthcare services without compromising on quality or causing inconvenience to beneficiaries.

APHYTA President Dr Mwanaada Kilima told a meeting of doctors on Thursday, May 2 that despite the significant contribution made by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), doctors have faced many challenges in serve the beneficiaries of the NHIF insurance plan. .

These challenges mainly arise due to inadequate coverage of essential services by the NHIF insurance policy.

“We have submitted our proposals collectively through the Tanzania Medical Association (MAT), and we sincerely request our NHIF colleagues to also understand our concerns,” he said in his address to the APHYTA annual general meeting.

He reiterated that since doctors were also beneficiaries of NHIF insurance services, they would not want the services they receive to be of lower quality due to existing limitations.

Dr. Kilima also praised the progress made by the government in enacting the Universal Health Insurance Act of 2023, which is pending implementation.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu, who witnessed the opening of the APHYTA Annual General Meeting, said about eight percent of Tanzanians are NHIF beneficiaries and 0.5 percent use private health insurance, making that only 8.5 percent of the total population is covered by health insurance.

“Of every 100 Tanzanians, around 92 pay cash for medical treatment. This is what made it necessary to pass the Universal Health Insurance Law,” he noted.

Ms Mwalimu also emphasized that the entry point for professional opinions should be the national standard treatment guidelines, which will lead to improvements in the quality of services provided by the NHIF.

“All discussions and debates should be based on the national Standard Treatment Guidelines (STRs) and Tanzania’s national list of essential medicines. All comments and criticisms should be directed there,” he said.

The minister also highlighted that the government, through the ministry, recognizes and addresses the challenge of the “Service Scheme”, in which some of the specialized doctors have not been recognized.

“I personally see this as a challenge that leads many doctors to hesitate to continue their studies in specialized fields due to the lack of recognition in the civil service structure, which contradicts the government’s objectives of improving specialized services,” he said. .

In this regard, Minister Mwalimu also stated that the government continues to prioritize specialist doctors, particularly in their professional development, through a special program known as the Dr Samia Super Specialized Scholarship Programme, which provides funding opportunities for studies specialized.

“For the 2023/2024 academic year, a total of Sh10.9 billion has been allocated, which will enable 1,109 candidates to pursue specialized and super-specialized studies. This represents an increase of 582 candidates, or 110 per cent, compared to the 2022/2023 academic year,” Mwalimu said.

The APHYTA Annual General Meeting is held under the theme “Improving the quality of healthcare in Tanzania: Opportunities and challenges for doctors”.

Medical Director Professor Tumaini Nagu stated that this conference, apart from being an opportunity to address critical issues in the Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG), is a platform to delve into various aspects of internal medicine along with the factors that affect the provision of medical care in all facilities. .