Senior Economist in the Ministry of Health (MoH), Francis Zhuwao, has said the ministry is in favour of using birth certificates and national IDs for anyone who wants to access medical help in Malawian hospitals.
This is one of the seven proposals in the MoH’s Health Sector Strategic Plan III.
Zhuwao said they hope such measures will help ensure that only Malawians access medical help in hospitals, which face acute shortage of resources due to non-Malawians accessing medical help budgeted for locals.
He was speaking on Monday in Mzimba when he briefed Mmbelwa District Council Executive Committee on the strategic plan.
Zhuwao said to operate optimally, the ministry requires K4 trillion yearly but currently, the funds from the government and donor partners hover around K500 billion.
“We also propose the introduction of prepayment for one to access health services in our hospitals, for those capable of paying,” he said.
A health administrator at Mzimba District health office, Louis Moyo, said it was high time Malawi started thinking about mechanisms for health financing as health services are becoming expensive globally, with available resources shrinking to support the health delivery systems.
In his reaction, Mzimba Civil Society Organisations chairperson Christopher Melele said it will be painful for Malawians to be paying for medical services.
By Joel Phiri, MANA
