The Directorate of Medical and Health Services in Uganda Police Force, is working on a medical insurance policy for police personnel.
According to the inspector General of police Gen Kale Kayihura, the team that is led by Dr. Moses Byaruhanga, Director Medical and Health Services in Uganda police is expected to table the proposal before the Police Council in January next year for discussion.
“I have tasked the medical team to come up with a proposal for medical insurance so the officers can get medical care from the best facilities with the best equipments,” the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura disclosed recently.
According to Kayihura, the team that is led by Dr. Moses Byaruhanga, Director Medical and Health Services in Uganda police is expected to table the proposal before the Police Council in January next year for discussion.
The Police Council, which is chaired by the Inspector General of police, plays an advisory role to the Police authority. The council mandated to formulate and advise the Police authority policies in the force.
Kayihura explains that police personnel are currently faced with a challenge of accessing proper health care. The proposal seeks to incorporate the medical insurance to cover more than 48,000 police officers in Exodus SACCO.
The insurance scheme will include a mandatory contribution by all officers from their monthly deposits to the SACCO. Currently, all police officers are treated in the medical centers within their facilities and extreme cases, Referral Hospitals where treatment is generally free.
In cases where treatment is not free, police bears 50% of the bill.
While some officers have benefited from the 50% payment, most officers are not that lucky. One of the officers who has been seeking a refund of Shillings 600,000 from the Welfare department he spent on treatment, says getting the money, is hustle.
“Of course some officers are connected and can easily get their 50% refund but people like us, you just end up giving up on the money,” he told URN on condition of anonymity.
