A total of 16,000 households have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA) in Elgeyo Marakwet county.
The CEC for health Michael Kibiwott said the county target to have all residents enrolled under the authority by end of this year and they have strategically set up registration desks in all health facilities in the county.
He explained that SHA, the National and County government, had put in place measures involving ward administrators, chiefs, their assistants and village elders who will be required to mobilize residents to ensure no one is left out in registration.
Addressing the press in Iten, the CEC added that all the 1,200 community health promoters had been trained and issued with gadgets for registration which will not require the internet for the registration process.
He said that all health facilities in the county offer all services, had been registered with SHA and staff trained on how to claim refunds from SHA.
The CEC however said there was a challenge as most of the people are yet to update their dependents but said they had consulted with the Ministry of Health who were working on it.
Noting that no one will receive health services without being registered, Kibiwott called on all residents to take advantage of the mass registration exercise so that they can access services.
He said treatment will be free in all level one to three health facilities but added that for referrals one will be required to pay what will be allocated to him/her according to the means testing and therefore called on residents to fill in the forms for means testing.
He said the government wanted to decongest level 4 and above hospitals so that they only deal with serious ailments.
By Alice Wanjiru
