The Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe, has urged Christians to embrace a culture of planning, saving and investing for their future health, saying financial preparedness is essential in helping families meet the rising cost of medical care and avoid hardships caused by unexpected illnesses.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while officially launching the Diocesan Community Health Insurance Scheme at Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano, in Western Division, Rukungiri Municipality.
The launch followed a training attended by Archdeacons; all Diocesan Heads of Departments and Units; members of the Diocesan Board of Health and Social Transformation; members of the Board of Governors; the Medical Superintendent, Administrator and Accountant of North Kigezi Health Centre IV–Rugarama; all clergy under Rujumbura Archdeaconry; and all In-Charges and Administrators/Overseers of the Diocesan Health Centre IIs and IIIs.
The training was facilitated by a team from DGRV, a German organization specializing in capacity building through training and technical support for the establishment and strengthening of community cooperative schemes, including community health insurance cooperatives. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
The facilitators included Pamela Tumwesigye, Manager at DGRV, together with Rogers Okambo and Agatha Ankunda from the Department of Cooperatives in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
Participants were trained in key areas required for establishing the cooperative scheme, including mobilization of members and finances, formation of leadership structures, formulation of bylaws, and the registration process of the cooperative with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
During the training, Tumwesigye shared success stories from Ankole Diocese and North West Ankole Diocese in Mbarara and Ibanda districts respectively, where similar community health insurance schemes have enabled communities to access affordable healthcare services through collective savings and shared responsibility.
Addressing participants, Bishop Asiimwe welcomed the initiative and the visiting team, expressing confidence that the programme would succeed in North Kigezi Diocese because of the positive outcomes already witnessed in Ankole and North West Ankole dioceses.
“The Diocesan Community Health Insurance Scheme is intended to provide a healthcare financing mechanism that is feasible, accessible and affordable for Christians throughout the Diocese,” he said.
Bishop Asiimwe urged participants to actively engage in the training and, upon returning to their respective stations, sensitize Christians about the benefits of joining the scheme.
He also commended the Diocesan Health Coordinator, Dr. Edson Masiko, for initiating and coordinating the programme, noting that the Diocese continues to benefit whenever competent and knowledgeable people are entrusted with leadership responsibilities.
Bishop Asiimwe also prayed for God's blessing upon the implementation of the scheme across the Diocese.
He encouraged Christians to deliberately prepare for their future wellbeing, observing that unless people plan ahead, they risk facing avoidable hardships when unexpected medical emergencies arise.
Bishop Asiimwe noted that health challenges are often accompanied by high medical expenses, which many families struggle to meet, explaining that community health insurance enables members to meet medical bills that would otherwise be beyond their individual financial capacity.
Referring to Proverbs 27:12, he said wise people foresee danger and prepare for it, adding that financial preparedness is an act of good stewardship because the human body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“As the saying goes, an aspirin taken in the name of Jesus does wonders,” Bishop Asiimwe said, emphasizing that while Christians trust God for healing, they should also make practical preparations for their health.
At the close of the launch, 30 members registered to join the Diocesan Community Health Insurance Scheme after paying the initial membership fee of Shs 30,000 each.
Membership remains open to individuals, who are required to recruit a minimum of four members; as well as groups and institutions wishing to participate in the scheme.
The North Kigezi Diocese Health Cooperative Interim Committee comprises Sr. Alice Kasisi Babihuga as Chairperson; Rev. Benson Amanya, Diocesan Youth Coordinator and Chaplain of Makobore High School, as Vice Chairperson; Micheal Mukiza as Treasurer; Rev. Moses Kabareebe, Diocesan Coordinator for NKKD WATSAN and Assistant Household Transformation Officer in Charge of Estates, as Secretary; and Lay Canon Florence Katunguka as a member.
