Kisumu residents have been urged to register for universal health coverage in large numbers ahead of the pilot launch by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 13.
This is first time the President will visit Kisumu, the home turf of ODM leader leader Raila Odinga, after the March 9 handshake. The UHC programme is part of President’s Big Four agenda.
Deputy Governor Mathews Owili said residents should ensure they are registered, saying the programme will enable them access better health services.
He said the UHC targets to ensure all Kenyans have access to preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services at a minimum financial burden.
Owili said the UHC services will be offered in all public dispensaries, health centres, subcounty and county hospitals. “We want our people to register for them to access quality health services at affordable cost,” he said.
More than 160,000 households out of the targetted 240,000 have been registered.
The government will spend Sh3.9 billion to pilot UHC in Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo and Machakos counties.
The pilot projects will deal with the finding out on the capacity of the NHIF as well as improve infrastructure before rolling out to all counties. Health CS Sicily Kariuki, who visited Kisumu on November 16, said her ministry will rollout the UHC programme in two phases.
