Parents should benefit from medical cover of their children

Editor,FIRST AND foremost, let me congratulate our MPs for debating issues that are critical and relevant to our daily life as electorates. While debating social protection issues, MPs like Juvénal Nkusi is always right. He goes further and looks at the nature of our society.How can anyone in Rwanda deny the fact that our parents are dependent on their children?If they are and there is no legislation in place that caters for these elder people who have made us who we are, then we are failing as a nation. In fact, this law is long overdue.For insurance companies to say that they may get losses, is not proven since there is no study quoted in this article. Put the law in place to protect our parents and then insurance companies will develop products that will suit the needs of their subscribers depending on whom they target.Those [MPs] who raised it should be given ample time to continue serving us by voting them to next Parliament.Peter, Kigali, Rwanda***********************Parents are not left out, there is the mutuelle de santé that covers the whole population. MPs should rather advocate for that scheme to give better treatment package instead of adding burden to the insurers.Sarah, Kigali, Rwanda***********************Thank you Sarah for bringing up the question of mutuelle de santé. Mutuelle is a great concept and idea that was successfully launched several years ago. Unfortunately, due to challenges in the Ministry of Health over the last two years, coverage in terms of quality of services has only gotten worse (drug shortages, no consumables, babies falling off unattended beds, etc) so much to the extent that patients have to turn to the private sector and pay out of pocket again.This really needs to be addressed and the health insurance market should be more closely regulated.John, Kigali, RwandaReactions to the story, “MPs want parents to benefit from children medical cover,” (The New Times, July 24)

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Parents should benefit from medical cover of their children