Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has hinted at National Hospital Insuarance fund (NHIF) regulating costs of Covid-19 treatment.
However, to attain it, Kagwe said that many people have to enroll for NHIF to make it possible to change what the insuarance is offering to the public.
“We need to get to a point where NHIF card pays for everything and everybody, not just other disease but also even Covid-19. The way to get it done is to ensure many people have enrolled for NHIF, once we’ve got that massive people it is then possible to change what NHIF is offering to the public,” he said.
He asked Member of Parliament to help pass the NHIF bill that is currently in Parliament so that they can be able to change the NHIF and make it more effective and responsive to the needs of Kenyans.
Additionally, he reiterated government’s commitment in ensuring that provision of health services is responsive to the needs of respective communities.
Speaking at the Kigumo Sub-County hospital in Murang’a County during the laying of a foundation stone for new facilities, the health CS said the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has presented new dynamics that demand well-functioning health systems.
“The ongoing expansion of hospitals and healthcare centres across the country is geared towards driving equitable and quality healthcare by enabling them to improve on the healthcare they deliver,” observed the CS.
Kagwe said it was gratifying to witness the expansion of hospitals across the country saying improving access to healthcare contributes to better health outcomes and increases the productivity of the people leading to economic growth. He said the Universal Health Coverage under the President’s Big 4 agenda will go a long way in ensuring that citizens, regardless of their social status, can access quality healthcare services.
“Our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta has always attached great importance to the development of public health in Kenya which is why he personally promised to ensure that this hospital has been expanded,” observed the CS.
He lauded Murang’a County government for its innovative concept that involves the deployment of motorcycles to collect TB samples for onward transmission to the main laboratory located in Murang’a Level-5 Hospital saying it has eased the burden for those seeking Such services.
“We are determined as a national Government to support efforts geared towards the improvement of health care services in the Counties. Its indeed just this concern that has seen Nairobi County get over twenty-five new facilities thereby easing pressure on the referral hospitals of Kenyatta and others besides bringing services closer to the people,” Kagwe said.
This even as he challenged those managing health facilities to consider integrating tele-health technologies in their operations to ensure more people access quality healthcare.
“Whereas expansion of physical facilities is important, its equally good to embrace telehealth technologies to ensure that even from the comfort of home, patients are able to access health services. For those with chronic diseases, we can use the same technology for follow ups.” Said the CS.
The CS reminded Kenyans not to forget that Covid-19 pandemic is still with on noting the mitigation measures have recently been boosted with the vaccine.
“I want to encourage the residents of Kigumo, Murang‘a, and the country at large to get vaccinated, ” he said.
“Studies on the vaccines globally have shown that it reduces the severity of the disease should one be infected. I think that if one has an opportunity to protect themselves from severe infection, they should do so at the earliest opportunity.”
He said the Ministry of Health has put up a list of designated vaccination centres, Kigumo sub–county hospital being one of them, noting that the county has fully vaccinated 21,833 which is 3.2 per cent of the population.
Further, he said the government is working towards marking this year’s Mashujaa Day with at least 5.8 million people vaccinated.
