Ministry Plans Pre-Payment for Healthcare Services in Malawi
Christopher Melele, chairperson for the CSO network in Mzimba, called for other solutions to bail out the health financing strategy rather than the pre-payment strategy.
MZIMBA, Malawi — The Ministry of Health has disclosed that it is proposing to introduce pre-payment for healthcare services in Malawi for people categorized as non-poor in order to support health service delivery and health financing in the country, writes Victoria Yande.
Chief Health Planning Officer in the Ministry of Health Samuel Longwe made the revelation in Mzimba during a training for the District Executive Committee (DEC) on the Health Sector Strategic Plan 3 and National Health Financing Strategy.
"The ministry is only spending $39.8 per person in the provision of quality health services against the $86 recommended by the World Health Organization, hence the need for additional ways to support health service delivery in the country," Longwe said.
He said the ministry is planning to roll out the use of national identity cards as a prerequisite in accessing free health services that will bar non-nationals from accessing free healthcare in Malawi.
While commending the introduction of national identity cards in accessing health services, Christopher Melele, chairperson for the CSO network in Mzimba, called for other solutions to bail out the health financing strategy rather than the pre-payment strategy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training, Longwe said the ministry is spending below the WHO recommendation, necessitating additional funding mechanisms like the pre-payment plan for the non-poor.