The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | International Air Ambulance (IAA) Healthcare, a leading Health Membership Organisation in Uganda has announced that it will not cater for medical bills for any of its clients infected with coronavirus. This follows declaration of the disease as pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
Typically, medical insurance excludes epidemics and pandemics, meaning that victims of the disease that have been categorized as so, have to foot their own hospital bills.
In a statement sent to its clients, IAA Head of Clients, Helen Mbabazi, said there are specialised government designated centres where all confirmed cases of coronavirus are treated.
“Private hospitals and clinics are not allowed to treat coronavirus cases and will consequently not be covered by your insurance contract,” she said.
IAA provides its medical services through the International Hospital Kampala, International Medical Centres and over 100 affiliates countrywide. However, it remains unclear on whether other insurance firms have taken a similar decision as the country now battles 44 confirmed coronavirus cases – almost all but five cases imported.
Meanwhile, researchers have said that most of the country’s COVID-19 confirmed cases belong to the lower risk age groups – below 60 years.
The health officials said the infection trends as of now means that Uganda might not record any deaths associated with the disease. The researchers added that the country is also in position to treat and handle the disease.
This is in contrast with developed countries that most of the people infected with COVID-19 are above 65 years and thus the higher chances of contracting the deadly disease and death.
Data from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that between February and March 2020, persons aged 65 and above represented 31 percent of all the confirmed cases.
Globally, the number of coronavirus infection cases has crossed 700,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 40,000 people have died of the pandemic, majority of them the elderly.
