The Senate is considering dropping the requirement that membership of the National Hospital Insurance Fund be made mandatory.
There are many advantages of making membership of the public-funded hospital insurer compulsory for every adult.
The NHIF would definitely be better funded and therefore able to support a large number of patients who, on account of lack of cash, have to rely on relatives and fundraising from friends to clear huge bills in private hospitals.
The Senate might have latched on the misguided logic that the majority of the population cannot afford Sh500 a month as the minimum contribution.
But that is to miss the point.
The requirement is a mark of the ambition of our health system which will definitely be achieved in the course of time.
The economy cannot remain in gloom forever and therefore it demands foresight to anticipate future needs.
The Senate should, and must, reject the easy and short-term option.
The challenge that the mandatory membership intended to cure does not miraculously disappear just because the Senate seems to have changed its mind.
It might be painful in the initial stages, but the benefits outweigh the pain in the long run.
The ambitious and progressive plan must not be abandoned. This is a sure way to deal a death blow to the Universal Health Coverage dream.
Quote of the Day: "When it comes to human dignity, we cannot make compromises."
Angela Merkel
The former German Chancellor was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year on December 9, 2015, for her handling of debt and refugee crises
