WITH reports of fraud, deception and mismanagement regularly emerging in health sector conduct, the government is moving to rectify how the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is being run.

Mohamed Mchengerwa, the Health minister, made this affirmation at a dedicated working session with media editors, noting that changes are meant to ensure the integrity of the universal health coverage programme.

The measures are aimed at providing clarity on the law governing universal health insurance, its challenges and institute measures to guarantee timely, equitable and high-quality healthcare for the public, he said.

The health sector has long faced patients and fraudsters as its major adversaries, where the needs of patients are addressed through service delivery but fraud and malpractice threaten the entire system, he stated.

To safeguard the insurance programme, the government will expand the use of digital systems in service delivery and insurance management, thus reducing opportunities for fraudulent claims, falsified receipts and service abuse, he stated.

Early Detection, which will include internal audits and data-driven monitoring, will identify suspicious activity before it causes major losses and enforcement where any health sector employees found engaging in fraudulent acts will face strict disciplinary measures, including suspension or dismissal.

The government will not allow NHIF to be undermined by fraud eroding the public trust, which would cause the system to collapse, services failing and policy objectives compromised, he declared.

Improving service delivery will be carried out by reducing waiting times for patients, respecting dignity and privacy in healthcare provision, developing a unified digital system linking all health institutions and insurance schemes, along with strengthening the capacity of healthcare facilities and institutions, he said.

“Health insurance is a family’s shield. Universal health coverage is a bridge to equality. Access to timely, quality care is a basic right of every Tanzanian,” he stressed, elaborating that initial focus of universal health coverage will be on citizens outside formal insurance schemes.

These include farmers, pastoralists, small-scale miners, motorcycle taxi operators, artists and informal traders, with priority given to vulnerable groups including the elderly, women, pregnant women, children and persons with disabilities, he specified.

In a move to make critical diagnostic services more accessible, the cost of a PET-CT scan for cancer detection at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) has been reduced from 6m/- to 1.2m/- for local patients, with services for international patients standing at 2.4m/-, he said.

Availability and quality of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs will be assured, with no fake medications produced or distributed, he said, hinting that the government holds 70 per cent of shares in the local ARV manufacturing plant.

This enables it to ensure strict quality control and security of supplies, he said, asking journalists to expose malpractice within the health insurance system, as media collaboration is vital for transparency and accountability.

“Investigative reporting protects lives, public funds and national security. We welcome reports of deficiencies or corruption and will act accordingly,” he said, while Dr Irene Isaka, the NHIF director-general, said that 276,004 households have already been registered under the universal health insurance programme, with registration ongoing nationwide.

Residents in Dar es Salaam have welcomed the reforms and the reduced insurance costs. Jenifer Kuligi of Tegeta praised the programme as affordable protection for families, while other citizens highlighted challenges such as ensuring chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease as being covered under special insurance provisions.

The government intends to expand service access, ensuring medicine availability in public hospitals and removing administrative barriers such as delays in obtaining national identification which some residents have cited as obstacles to enrolment, she added.