New health plan to benefit about 200,000 Nairobi families
By Alvin.Mwangi, February 21, 2023Nairobi County government is set to introduce health insurance coverage for poor households, with the first phase targeting 232,000 families.
Governor Johnson Sakaja (right) said the county would partner with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to roll out the cover.
This will enable less-fortunate residents to access medical treatment free of charge.
“We want a city of dignity. Our people, no matter their earnings, should access quality healthcare. No will be left behind,” he said.
Sakaja said the cover would be distributed to 50 households per polling station.
“I have been keenly observing what has been happening in other counties, and especially in Murang’a and Nairobi. We will soon start registering 232,000 poor families which will benefit from this cover,” he said.
The cover will cater for inpatient, outpatient, dental, optical and last expenses.
Access to healthcare for all is an integral part of President William Ruto’s manifesto, who has vowed to speed up the much-needed National Health Insurance Fund reforms.
A similar programme was started in 2021 by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) where 20,000 vulnerable families got Sh6,000 NHIF medical cover annually.
Murang’a is also among the first counties to establish such a programme, which was launched in November 2022 covering 20,000 vulnerable households. The cover, dubbed Kang’ata Care, caters for inpatient, outpatient, dental, optical and last expense.
Recently, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said the government will be phasing out NHIF and replacing it with National Social Health Insurance Fund from July this year, so as to ensure healthcare access for all.
She noted that only a small percentage of Kenyans are enrolled in NHIF, hence denying many people access to crucial healthcare.