Shillong, India, May 3, 2012—IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, is helping the eastern state of Meghalaya
implement a universal health insurance plan to benefit the state’s population
of over three million, including those from low- and middle-income households
currently without health coverage.
IFC will work jointly with the World
Bank to assist the state in designing and implementing the insurance plan,
including promoting private sector participation. It will broaden coverage
for local families, allowing them to obtain quality healthcare and specialized
treatment close to home. The project is also supported by the UK’s Department
for International Development.
“Through this first-of-its kind scheme
in India, Meghalaya will be able to expand healthcare services to all,”
said Donald Wahlang, Commissioner and Secretary of the state’s Department
of Health and Family Welfare. “In the long term, it will help address
the shortage of trained medical and paramedical staff in the northeast
region.” Meghalaya had launched India’s national insurance scheme Rashtriya
Swasthya Bima Yojna in 2009, demonstrating a commitment to strengthen health
infrastructure in the state.
The project will be implemented in two
phases. In the first, the plan will extend insurance coverage to more than
80 percent of the residents not covered by Meghalaya’s current program.
The second phase will include coverage for a broader range of diseases
and tertiary health care delivery, all under higher financial cover.
“By introducing an efficient and independent
paying mechanism, the project will promote private sector participation
in offering healthcare to the insured,” said Karin Finkelston, IFC Vice
President for Asia-Pacific. “Increasing the paying capacity of the rural
poor will encourage the private sector to provide services in smaller and
remote towns and villages.”
The project is in line with IFC’s strategic
focus of stimulating development in economically stressed regions of India,
including the northeast.
“With steep health expenditures affecting
the poor, government-sponsored health insurance schemes offer new possibilities
towards attaining universal coverage,” said Julie McLaughlin, World Bank
Sector Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population for South Asia.
This is the second intervention in healthcare
by IFC in Meghalaya. IFC advised the state government in 2010 on providing
quality healthcare and training at the Shillong hospital and medical college.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group,
is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the
private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth
by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and
governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets.
In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, we helped our
clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute
to their local communities— all while driving our investments to an all-time
high of nearly $19 billion. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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