Zango – The Angolan Government is studying other financing forms for the health system, in order to mitigate the 96 percent dependence on the General State Budget and capture new sources, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta reported Monday in Luanda.
According to the government official, the ongoing cost structure of health services no longer satisfy the demand, therefore making an update is necessary to alleviate dependence on the main source of revenue.
The Minister made the statement while spoking at the workshop on financing for the sustainability of the national health service, held today at the “Bispo Dom Emílio de Carvalho” General Hospital of Viana.
She revealed that, under the guidance of the Executive, the Ministry of Health has been working with the Ministries of Finance and Planning, under the coordination of the Ministers of State for Economic Coordination and the Social Area, to find other sources of financing, since the existing system is no longer able to fully respond to the system.
The results will be presented within a minimum period of three months.
According to Sílvia Lutucuta, the current financing model focuses on the OGE, with more than 96 percent, on donations, with 3.5 percent and on the restaurant, with a percentage of less than 0.5.
To give consistency to the work, he explained that a comparative study was carried out in the region, which included countries such as Zambia and Rwanda, with the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank (WB), to acquit the vast experience of models of financing for the health sector.
On the other hand, the government official highlighted, the possibility of using public services by the private sector, public insurance and fees that could provide more sustainability to the health sector is being considered.
She added that the models to be established will always prioritize the most vulnerable, with special protection within the system. On the occasion, the advisor to the Minister of Finance, Carla Nogueira, said that health has no price, but rather costs that require payments or reimbursement.
Therefore, she said that the best way must be found, where the patient can participate in excellent medical services.
For him, this initiative to restructure the financing model should minimize costs, make exploitation profitable and raise resources to promote the financial sustainability of the national health service.
DP/OHA/TED/DOJ
