- MP Bernard Shinali on Thursday launched the registration and distribution of NHIF cards to 630 to the first phase of the programme at Malinya on Friday.
- The initiative seeks to enhance the realisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the Big Four Agenda and the UN’s agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Ikolomani constituency has launched a health insurance through the constituency’s social security programme to enable vulnerable households access medical services.
The programme seeks to enlist more than 1, 300 vulnerable residents this financial year through the Ikolomani NG-CDF which will pay their health insurance premiums under the National Hospital Insurance Fund.
Area MP Bernard Shinali on Thursday launched the registration and distribution of NHIF cards to 630 residents in the first phase of the programme at Malinya on Friday.
The benefiting households include those of persons with disabilities, the needy and elderly aged above 60, needy widows and widowers and orphans.
Shinali said the constituency NG-CDF committee partnered with Pharm Access Foundation and Amref in the socio-economic mapping of the constituency to identify vulnerable families to benefit from the initiative.
He said the programme will go a long way in supporting the vulnerable in the society to access essential healthcare services that they would have missed due to financial constraints.
“The number of benefiting families will increase in the next financial year. We have families that cannot afford three meals a day and it’s only fair that we assist them to access treatment and remain healthy to fend for themselves,” he said.
The initiative seeks to enhance the realisation of Universal Health Coverage under the Big 4 agenda and the UN’s agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals.
It is also geared towards the realisation of Medium-Term Plan 3 target of Kenya’s Vision 2030 on health insurance project for the elderly people and persons living with severe disabilities, that targets to cover approximately 1.7 million people by the end of the year. The health insurance subsidy programme for the orphans and the poor will cover about 1.5 million people within the same period.
The lawmaker said he was committed to ensuring most vulnerable people in the constituency access healthcare services, help reduce the burden of disease and preventable deaths.
The NHIF, on Wednesday announced change of name and will now be known as the National Health Insurance Fund to broaden the scope of service provision.
The new name also aims to include organisations that have renal dialysis centres, cancer care centres and diabetic care centres.
Board chairperson Lewis Nguyai said the fund would be amending its contract to be called a healthcare provider contract between the national health insurance fund and the healthcare providers.
“This is now to broaden the scope of service delivery because it is not only hospitals that deliver health, but there are many healthcare providers as we are now going to call them in their contracts,” Nguyai said.
-Edited by SKanyara