Funeral insurance, not health, is becoming priority in Zimbabwe (symbolic photo- gemini)
Digital Desk, New Delhi. A strange and disturbing social reality has emerged in Zimbabwe. Where instead of giving priority to treatment while alive, people are focusing on the expenses incurred on their death feast.
The situation is that compared to health insurance, there has been a faster increase in the number of people taking funeral insurance.
According to Al Jazeera report, about 16 million people in Zimbabwe, or about 90 percent of the population, do not have health insurance and have to pay for medical care out of their own pockets.
72 percent people have funeral policy
According to financial inclusion data, about 72 percent of insured people have a funeral policy, while only 30 percent have health insurance. A funeral can cost up to $3,000—a huge burden in a weak economy. People find it more appropriate to insure death rather than insuring life.
People are getting funeral insurance instead of health insurance
Millions of people in Zimbabwe are opting for funeral insurance instead of health insurance, Al Jazeera reports, highlighting the growing challenges in accessing affordable medical care across the country. The move reflects the country's economic difficulties and changing social priorities.
Despite the pressure that basic health care costs put on household budgets, funeral insurance policies have become a major form of financial protection for many people.
Worrying about a dignified death rather than living a life
The modern era in Zimbabwe has forced people to celebrate death more than saving life. The citizens here are giving priority to dignified death over treatment. Which poses a big challenge for the Zimbabwean government to convince its citizens that a dignified life and timely medical assistance is more important than a dignified death.
"Funerals are urgent, unavoidable events that come with significant financial and community expectations. In contrast, access to comprehensive medical care remains limited due to affordability challenges, exclusions and unexpected out-of-pocket expenses," said Innocent Tshuma, public relations manager at Doves Holdings Group, a funeral services company that provides funeral services.
He argued that Zimbabweans place great importance on dignity, respect and collective responsibility at the time of death and that funeral insurance provides certainty in cost and service delivery, "which explains its strong appeal in an environment of limited household income".
Some Zimbabweans say that discussing illness and preparing for medical crises may be socially taboo, while planning for death is widely accepted and preferred.
Government is making plans
The government has acknowledged the need to expand access to health coverage and plans to launch a national health insurance scheme later this year. However, millions of Zimbabweans face a difficult choice – either prepare for death with affordable funeral insurance or face potentially devastating medical expenses without adequate protection.
Chyawanprash is a part of every Indian's life, it reduces diseases and increases energy.