Let’s think of health insurance fund for people with disabilities

Every able-bodied person is potentially a disabled person,” this is what the late business guru Reginald Mengi used to say. He meant that in a minute one can be totally OK, and the next minute the body snaps and one is disabled! We have seen it happen especially in accidents, sometimes it’s a disease that may cause someone loss of eyesight, hearing, legs amputated, the backbone discs snap etc. May God help us!.

For Mengi, one of his enduring legacies was standing up for and helping people with disabilities. He used to hold an annual lunch cum conference with those with disabilities in Dar es Salaam. This was a hallmark of his advocacy initiative that society at large needs to accept and support those with disabilities.

In one of the last luncheons he had with the disabled before his demise in 2019, Mr Mengi passionately asked those with disabilities to fight for their economic empowerment. He reminded that people with disabilities to use the 2004 National Economic Empowerment Policy to claim their economic empowerment rights and liberate themselves.

He was always of the opinion that people with disabilities were capable. They just needed a chance to get out of poverty. “No individual person can manage to support all the people with disabilities, but policies can,” he said at one time.

Disabled people have special needs. For instance, those with albinism need special creams to keep themselves protected from sunlight. Some need wheelchairs, those with visual impairment need walking stick, Braille typewriter etc. Most of their extra basic needs are related to their health and wellbeing to be able to lead quality life.

Thus, it’s very important to include persons with disabilities in systems of health insurance, where their basic special needs can be taken care of by the larger society. We have seen many times, the people with disabilities have to raise funds when they are sick.

Recently, I wrote about Malcom the believer, and it is sad that he had no health insurance, but thank God, as his father said, they had never lacked money for making sure he got the best medical care.

We all know that one of the bigest health insurance systems in Tanzania is the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which is celebrating 20 years now. It was established to ensure the accessibility of health care services to the masses.

Methinks that, NHIF should be empowered by the state to have special funds for those with special needs. Think of a disabled person from a very poor family, who cannot afford even pain-killers!

 Tanzanians with NHIF cards know how vital health insurance is, to them and their loved ones. When sickness strikes and you have no money, but you have your valid NHIF card, it works wonders. Although NHIF has many challenges, but by and large, it has been vital for us in keeping our nation healthy. A new policy to enable it to cover those with special needs would do great for mother Tanzania.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) “recognizes that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability.” It urges the states parties to “ensure access for persons with disabilities to health services that are gender-sensitive, including health-related rehabilitation.”

In 2009, Tanzania ratified the UNCRPD. We also have the Tanzania Disability Act of 2010 which makes provisions “for the health care and social support”, among other basic rights for the persons with disabilities. All we need as a nation is to walk that talk and make it a reality for the people with disabilities, where majority are from poor families.