By Baraka John
About 1,000 vulnerable people in Yambio are expected to benefit from a 15 million South Sudanese Pound (SSP) contribution by Western Equatoria State Governor Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa to improve access to affordable healthcare.
The governor announced the donation on Thursday during the launch of a new health insurance facility known as ‘Rural Health Solidarity Initiative’ (RHSI), a women-led community-based organization established to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable and underserved communities.
The beneficiaries of the governor’s contribution will include people living with disabilities, vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs), single mothers and elderly people, particularly those struggling to afford medical treatment and essential medicines.
Speaking during the launch, Governor Rimbasa said the contribution would help reduce the financial burden faced by vulnerable households that often cannot afford medical consultations, laboratory services and medicines.
He said the funds would be used to register vulnerable people under the health insurance scheme, enabling them to access healthcare services at a reduced cost.
“As the Government of Western Equatoria, I have total political will to support this initiative. This afternoon, I have donated 15 million SSP, which will be used to register and provide affordable healthcare to people living with disabilities, vulnerable women, elderly people and vulnerable single mothers, especially internally displaced persons who have come from conflict-affected areas.” Rimbasa said
Under the RHSI programme, a member pays a 15,000 SSP registration fee to obtain a healthcare card. Each card will cover a family of four: a husband, wife and two children, giving them access to healthcare services under the scheme.
RHSI Chairperson Rugo Bullen Wande said the organization was established in response to the healthcare challenges facing rural families and other vulnerable groups.
Wande said the organization seeks to complement government efforts by making basic healthcare more accessible and affordable to communities that are often underserved.
“The initiative was formed in response to the challenges faced by communities, including internally displaced persons, widows, people living with disabilities, elderly people and low-income families who struggle to meet the costs of medical care.” She added, “The Rural Health Solidarity Initiative operates on the principle of solidarity, where community members contribute monthly to create a common health support fund.”
Meanwhile, the Western Equatoria State Minister of Health, Nama Bukulu Mondeson, has pledged to work closely with the Rural Health Solidarity Initiative (RHSI) to improve access to healthcare for people living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The minister welcomed the initiative, saying people living with disabilities are an important part of the state’s population and deserve equal access to healthcare and other essential services.
The minister stressed that disability should not be equated with inability, and said the government would collaborate with the organization to ensure people living with disabilities receive the care and support they need.
“As the Government of the state, we are going to work in collaboration with this rural initiative so that people living with disabilities can receive their rights and the care they need, especially healthcare.” She added, “We are going to work in collaboration with the organization so that we can also take care of the people of Western Equatoria who are living with disabilities.”
The launch comes as many rural and low-income households in Western Equatoria continue to face challenges accessing affordable healthcare due to limited financial resources and gaps in the availability of medicines and other medical services.