JEDDAH -- Insurance company executives as well as officials of charitable societies have called for using zakah to provide health insurance coverage to poor and needy families and individuals. The proposal is significant as it would help thousands of poor Saudi families across the Kingdom to receive advanced health care services.
There are nearly 250 charitable organizations in the Kingdom that cater to poor families, orphans and handicapped children. However, they will not be in a position to pay the huge hospital bills of the families.
Faisal Al-Zaidan, manager of an insurance company, said he had received complaints from poor families that health insurance expenditures were unaffordable for them as a result of their low earnings. According to a study conducted by a charitable organization in Riyadh, there are at least 3,700 poor families who require health insurance.
The monthly financial assistance they receive from charities is not enough to meet hospital expenses. Zaidan thought the zakah fund could be utilized to provide health insurance cover for the poor.
"This will help the poor and needy receive advanced medical care instead of depending on health centers and government hospitals."
He said if the number of poor families requiring health insurance were 3,700, the cost of insurance would not exceed SR2.3 million with an insurance policy ranging between SR700 and SR900 per person. "This is a very small amount compared to services offered," he pointed out.
A Saudi businessman has told Zaidan that his average annual zakah would amount to SR3 million. He also expressed his readiness to cooperate with the health insurance scheme for the poor.
Speaking about the modality of the scheme, Zaidan said a businessman can pay his zakah or donation to an insurance company which has a list of poor families and individuals to be given health insurance.
Insan Charitable Society in Riyadh has already introduced the system and it provides health insurance cover to all orphans under its care. Dr. Saud Al-Fanisan, dean of the Shariah College at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, said there was nothing wrong in providing health insurance coverage from zakah.
In a previous statement, Khaled Al-Mirghalani, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said a national cooperative fund would be established to provide free health insurance coverage for all Saudis.
"The new health insurance scheme will cover all Saudi citizens, except those who are already given coverage by their employers," he told Arab News.
Saudis receiving insurance coverage under the new plan will be entitled to receive free medical service at private and public hospitals, the spokesman said.
Mirghalani said the fund, to be financed by the government, would provide health insurance coverage to more than 12 million citizens. The new system comes as part of a major restructuring plan for the country's health sector.
He said the country's seven million expatriates would be provided health care through insurance companies. At present, there are about 1,000 health insurance providers in the Kingdom.
P.K. Abdul Ghafour
© Arab News 2008
