WE must immediately address the governance failure at NHIMA by reconstituting the Board to bridge the gap between management and policy makers, says former health minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya. Dr Chilufya says there is also a need to bail out NHIMA with a one-off deficit financing in order to plug the hole in outstanding claims. Last week, NHIMA Board Chairman Dr Richard Mwiinga lamented that claims under the scheme were higher than member contributions, thereby creating a huge financing gap. He said as at December 31, 2024, the authority’s revenue averaged K100 million per month, while claims stood at K160 million. Commenting on this, Dr Chilufya said letting NHIMA collapse amounted to sentencing Zambians to permanent ill-health. “Letting NHIMA collapse...