NHIF to be rebranded to NSHIF, Health CS Nakhumincha says
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has disclosed plans to rebrand the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) into the National Social Insurance Fund (NSHIF).
Speaking today during the launch of the inaugural National Cancer Summit in Nairobi, Nakhumincha said that the rebranding will be part of the Universal Health Coverage reforms.
“For us to drive this universal healthcare, we have to bring everybody on board. That is why we already have a team working and in the next few months, we are going to roll out NSHIF. The NSHIF is going to leave no one behind. Every Kenyan is going to have access to healthcare,” she said.
“Currently, NHIF is already running some schemes that take care of different cohorts of people. We have the one for the elderly, orphaned children, Linda Mama and Edu Afya. What we are going to do with the NSHIF is we want to bring the funds together so that we no longer have them in silos. When we have the schemes together, we do fundraising that gives us almost Sh12.6billion.”
The CS further announced that as part of enhancing Universal Healthcare, the government will be employing 90,000 community health workers.
“The 90,000 community workers will bring much value especially in driving the cancer menace out of the country,” she noted.
The new plans are part of the government’s plans to ensure that all those in the informal sector are able to access healthcare including the old and the vulnerable in the society.
