RUTANA, April 6th (ABP) – Some residents of Rutana province (east of the country) who usually go to the Rutana health centre complain that it is not easy to obtain health insurance cards (CAM).
Several citizens raised that problem during an on-site ABP interview on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
One of the citizens, Edouard Nkurikiye, who had come to the health centre to collect his health insurance card, said that he had spent several days looking for the card, but had always returned empty-handed.
He deplored the fact that the CAMs made available to the population were insufficient for the number of applicants. In addition, Mr Nkurikiye said that their distribution did not seem to follow an equitable order, as some people managed to obtain them immediately, on the very day they arrived, while others had to wait in vain. “That situation forces us to spend long hours queuing, to the detriment of our daily activities”, he lamented.
He condemned the unfair distribution, which takes no account of people’s real needs or their economic situation.
Faced with that situation, he called on the relevant authorities to increase the number of cards available and to put in place a more efficient and transparent mechanism for allocating them. He also urged the head of the health centre to set up a system to facilitate access to the cards for everyone.
Other anonymous citizens have asked the government to extend the period for distributing health insurance cards, as many people still need them.
Donavine Siniremera, the head of the Rutana health center, confirmed the challenges in acquiring health insurance cards. She stated that despite ordering a significant number of CAMs, the center receives only a limited supply, falling short of the community’s needs. Regarding distribution, Mrs. Siniremera clarified that priority is given to the ill, the elderly, and urgent cases, with community health workers in the hills identifying the most vulnerable beneficiaries, including critically ill patients and the elderly.