HELPING BUILD A BETTER, BRIGHTER MALAWI
MEDHEALTH
HARMONISING
Healthcare Tapping into new technologies and advocating universal access to healthcare across Malawi, MedHealth continues to help build a better, brighter future for the country Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller
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HEALTHCARE spoke with MedHealth just two weeks prior to this announcement – one of the country’s leading medical schemes and an organisation that represents the optimism of the entire country surrounding the September 14 unveiling. “In the document, there is a proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme which has excited all Malawians,” its COO Dr. Macfenton Shariff affirms. “The policy has come at a time when medical schemes in Malawi have themselves come up with a Draft Constitution of Association of Healthcare Funders of Malawi (AFHM), one of the objectives of which is to represent healthcare stakeholders in supporting or opposing proposed legislation. “We hope to play a role in collaborating with the Government of Malawi and Ministry of Health and Population in achieving the expected health delivery in numerous areas, not just national health insurance and universal health coverage, but equally strengthening
INTRODUCTION TO MEDHEALTH MedHealth is a Malawi-based medical scheme that took over the operations of the South African Metropolitan Health scheme through a management buyout in October 2016, placing it on the fast track to becoming a promising player in the industry. With the advantage of a legacy of experience, dating back to the entry of South Africa’s Momentum Health into Malawi in 2009, followed by its merger with Metropolitan Health in 2012, MedHealth is now an indigenous company with an international perspective.
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eptember 14, 2018 marked a progressive step in the history of Malawi. It was on this day that the small, landlocked Southern African nation launched a National Health Policy for the first time, aimed at improving the health status of all Malawians and taking steps towards the attainment of universal health coverage. Interestingly, Africa Outlook last
VISION: ‘To enhance the lifetime financial wellness of people, their communities and businesses.’ That is why we treat clients like family members, with dignity and respect in all interactions. We produce assurance and peace of mind for those who are part of our diverse family. MISSION: ‘To be a preferred lifetime financial wellness partner, with a reputation for innovation and trustworthiness.’ With this we aim to expand its client base to facilitate extensive medical aid security for the Malawian people. The provision of quality service which is affordable, reliable and sustainable is our mandate.
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Eris Properties Eris Properties Mw Limited (EPML) was formed in 2017 as a joint venture between NICO Holdings PLC (NHL) of Malawi and Eris Property Group (EPG) of South Africa. Since its formation, EPML has quickly established itself as a key player in the property market and is at the forefront of transforming Malawi’s built environment. Anchored by NHL and EPG’s years of expertise, EPML strives to deliver world class service underpinned by a drive for excellence across the board.
www.erismalawi.com
Bright Kamanga, CEO the health system and promoting social compact agreements for public-private sector collaboration.” And that is exactly what the healthcare environment in Malawi is becoming – collaborative, transparent and progressive.
ALIGNED WITH ADVANCEMENT The backdrop of the National Health Policy and AFHM is not the only cause for celebration at MedHealth right now, however. During the course of the past year, the business successfully realised many of its sales, marketing, finance, administrative and operational goals, including the implementation of its Health Information Platform (HIP) – a medical administrative solution acquired from South Africa. “HIP has enabled a more superior management and administration of the MedHealth fund with its enhanced 4 | Africa Outlook issue 78
service levels to members and all stakeholders,” Shariff explains. “With it we have managed, among other things, to achieve full audit trails, real-time, centralised enquiries, somehow maintain a relatively lowered administration and IT costs, and speed up information delivery and speedy query resolution.” A staffing restructure has also occurred in accordance with HIP, as well as greater emphasis having been placed on the improvement of operational efficiency. “On top of this, there has been a decentralisation of membership management at a satellite office, enabling us to better cater for clients in the southern regions of Malawi. And we’re in the process of adopting a Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) policy as part of our cost reduction programmes,” Shariff adds. These efforts echo similar strides taken by MedHealth in previous years, the company still driven by proactivity
and a willingness to embrace emerging global trends. Technology adoption, for example, is a field that the medical scheme is spearheading in a national sense, HIP being just one of a multitude of recent focus areas. “As the medical scheme and health sector go through a technological revolution, we found it imperative to align ourselves with modern advancements that combine industry best practice and thought leadership technology
https://www.eris.co.za HEALTHCARE
Eris Properties Mw Limited (EPML) is a property services company which provides a range of commercial property services in Malawi including Property Development, Property Management, Property Valuation, Consultancy, Leasing and Brokerage. The company is owned by NICO Holdings plc (NHL) of Malawi and Eris Property Group (Pty) Limited (EPG) of South Africa.
www.erismalawi.com E: info@eris.co.mw BLANTYRE (HEAD OFFICE) 19 Glyn Jones Road Chibisa House P.O. Box 648 T: +265 (0) 1 828 012 F: +265 (0) 1 821 617 LILONGWE Suite 16 NICO Centre P.O. Box 912 T: +265 (0) 1 751 085 F: +265 (0) 1 751 617
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FROM HEALTHCARE TO SOCIETAL CARE Aside from the medical services that MedHealth offers to Malawi, the organisation is involved in a wider range of charitable initiatives that include, but are not limited to: • Paying for the tuition of underprivileged students from the Malawi College of Medicine and Mzuzu University. • Sponsoring fundraising activities for the Ndimoyo palliative cancer centre for cancer patients. • Fundraising for under privileged students through Kamuzu Academy Music Concert, nicknamed the Eton of Africa due to its influence as a prestigious school in Malawi.
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with features that deliver high levels of efficiency, sustained consistency and good governance in all areas of management, security, member, provider, compliance, product, content management, finance, claims, case management, and communications modules,” Shariff reveals. In the case of FWA, the organisation is developing tools for use in detection, for example. Meanwhile, in 2020, it plans to embark on the launch of an electronic data interface, transferring the format of its submission claims from paper to digital. Not only will such a transition further eliminate costs, it will simultaneously reduce the amount of time and number of resources spent on the claims processing cycle, freeing up the medical scheme’s administrative staff to pursue alternative initiatives. “Overall, we’re experiencing improved efficiency and reduced expenses across the board,” Shariff adds.
COLLECTIVE CONTRIBUTION At this point, the Chief Operations Officer once again points to the role of his staff in helping to maintain the upward trajectory of the medical scheme, reiterating that they are crucial to the company’s ongoing success. The relationship between staff and enterprise is not a one-way street, however. Contributions are recognised and rewarded regularly. “Admiration of long serving employees, part of MedHealth’s conditions of service, is practiced to award loyal members as a way of motivation and retention,” Shariff affirms. “A number of staff members are also provided with the opportunity to go to both local and international training institutions of higher learning to hone their skills in health risk management, supervision and medical schemes administration – part of our pursuit of housing a world class workforce.” It is because of these strategies and the excellence of the MedHealth
HEALTHCARE team that the business won a Service Excellence Award from the Chartered Institute of Customer Management in the Medical Scheme category in Malawi last year. Indeed, the firm has also been nominated for this same award in 2019. But what of the relationships with and role of MedHealth’s esteemed suppliers? These remain as fruitful as ever in the eyes of Shariff. “Our partners have and will continue to improve our health service delivery at all levels, helping us to uphold satisfaction among all stakeholders involved in the business,” he declares. “From the sharing and usage of mobile apps and web portals and a willingness to negotiate on tariffs to the introduction of AHFM and the government’s willingness to collaborate with medical schemes in the areas of National Health Insurance, we’re grateful for the efforts of everyone involved with the organisation.”
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Empowered by these partners, employees and technological innovations, continued growth is exactly what MedHealth can expect looking ahead. Moving into 2020, the organisation aims to have its medical and administrative solution integrated fully and its FWA policy implemented by the year’s end. And coupling this, new product developments will be rolled out that will further consolidate MedHealth’s position as a flagship of quality healthcare in Malawi. “We will launch new innovations for the benefit of our members as we strive to be the ultimate healthcare solution at affordable and cost-effective rates,” Shariff affirms. It is arguably the Chief Operations Officer’s opening statements that provide the greatest source of excitement for the coming year, however,
Maya Kafwamba (Business Centre Manager)
Gerald Chilongo - Awardee of long service - 10 years
MedHealth poised to play a critical role in the country’s increasingly cooperative, progressive medical field. Shariff concludes, reiterating this optimism: “We hope that the implementation of National Health Insurance should provide financial risk protection to all Malawians, achieving sustainable and affordable universal access to quality healthcare services. “We also hope that the Medical Schemes Bill will be passed in parliament in the next year, and that full collaboration between the AHFM, Government of Malawi and other stakeholders bears many fruits for our nation.”
“WE HOPE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SHOULD PROVIDE FINANCIAL RISK PROTECTION TO ALL MALAWIANS, ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE AND AFFORDABLE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE SERVICES”
MEDHEALTH www.medhealth.mw
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MEDHEALTH Kang’ombe House, First Floor, East Wing, P.O. Box 31737, Capital City, Lilongwe 3 Tel: +265 1 771 978 info@medhealth.mw www.medhealth.mw PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE