Abstract:
ABSTRACT:
Background: This study examined National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in Tanzania as a tool of financing health care system to improve quality and increase accessibility of health services. There is low uptake and utilization of those financing loans (medical equipment loans) from the Health care facilities accredited by the Fund. The study was conducted in Dar es Salaam, to explore factors affecting NHIF medical equipment loans uptake among accredited health facilities in Dar es Salaam.
Methodology: An exploratory Cross section design was employed and samples of 16 health facilities not taken NHIF loans and 8 health facilities taken NHIF loans were selected using purposive sampling. Qualitative approaches were used in a study phenomenon. Data was collected using key informant interview guides; thematic analysis approach utilized to analyze the data collected.
Results: The results show that majority of health facility owners were not aware of the availability of the NHIF medical equipment loan that could encourages them to apply. However, few of them had being informed about NHIF loans but they had low knowledge on loan requirement; terms, conditions and procedures, this was attributed by low sensitization conducted by NHIF offices.
The study also found that NHIF medical equipment loan uptakes being low was attributed by difficulties in procedures set by NHIF and other organs as Bank of Tanzania (BOT) and Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA) policy changes on recovery periods, grace period after loan, loans interest, time taken to access loans, infrastructure and shortage of the qualified medical personnel’s. Therefore, efforts on NHIF MEL program sensitization is needed to rise up knowledge on terms and conditions of the program.
Conclusions: Customer Awareness on NHIF medical equipment loans is very low, most of the health facility owners were too risk averse on taking loans which is hindrance to the entrepreneurship and So many challenges mentioned by both the facility owners and NHIF loans officer that hinder implementation of the program
Recommendations: Awareness and more advocacy on medical equipment loan should be made especially on terms and conditions and procedure of the NHIF loan. NHIF should establish a better tools of advocating its products and strengths its marketing and customer care department, operational research should be done on how best to operate the loans facilities to improve the number of beneficiaries
