The government will give National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) membership to recipients of the cash transfer stipend aged 65 years and above, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
Speaking during the funeral service of
Mama Rebecca Umazi Rai, mother of the MP for Kinango Gonzi Rai
in Kinango, Kwale county, Ruto
said
the program will begin later in the year and it is aimed at enabling people in that age bracket have access good, affordable medical services.
The Deputy President also said the government was determined to stem the rise of lifestyle diseases like cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes in the country by equipping hospitals in the country with the necessary
equipments
that can be able to diagnosis those diseases.
“It is for this reason that am appealing to Kenyans to use these facilities by going for screening because
if detected early, the diseases can be cured.”Ruto said.
He noted that two hospitals in each of the 47 counties have Intensive Care Units, dialysis machines, MRIs and
radiation equipment to cut down the cost that patients use to travel to other counties to receive treatment.
He reiterated that NHIF membership will also be given to pregnant women during the pregnancy and for a duration of one year after the baby is born to afford mothers and their babies good medical attention.