Unions of Malian pharmacists and medical analysis laboratories are threatening to suspend the services of Amo, the compulsory health insurance scheme. The cause: late payments by the Malian government.
If the problem is not solved by then, the Amo (compulsory health insurance) service will be suspended on March 1. The threat comes from the Syndicat autonome des pharmaciens d’officine privée (Synappo) and the Syndicat national des pharmaciens du Mali (Synapharm).
In a letter sent to the Ministry of Health on Tuesday February 14, these two organizations deplore the delay in payment, “multiple unsuccessful negotiations” and “numerous complaints from promoters of private biomedical analysis laboratories and dispensaries”.
These health professionals only charge patients 20% of the cost of hospitalization, and 30% outside hospitalization, according to public data from the Malian national health insurance fund (Canam), which is supposed to cover the remainder. The problem is that the sums due to pharmacies and laboratories are no longer being paid.
Compulsory health insurance applies only to civil servants, private-sector employees, members of parliament and holders of civil or military pensions. According to a researcher specializing in the sector, this represents around 15% of the population. “The current context poses new difficulties for state financing, but this only exacerbates an already difficult situation, linked in particular to abuse and fraud,” notes this expert.
