Laikipia County government has paid full premiums to National Hospital Insurance Fund for 4,523 vulnerable households.
While announcing the move on Wednesday, Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said the move would see an additional 22,615 residents of the county covered by the health insurer at a cost of Sh27 million.
He said the households were identified out of the social economic status data collected by Community Health Volunteers.
“A resilient and sustainable health system is one of the goals my administrations is focused on achieving in the post-Covid-19 era,” he said.
Muriithi was speaking at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral hospital after inspecting the construction of 120-bed capacity mother and child unit and the renovation of a second isolation unit for those infected with Coronavirus.
He said his government had partnered with NHIF and accredited 45 public health facilities with the insurer in the area in an effort to provide quality and affordable healthcare and further disclosed that another 39 facilities would be accredited by June 30th.
The county boss further announced the recruitment of an additional 152 health workers of several cadres to boost healthcare in the area.
“This has seen all our dispensaries achieving the standard of two nurses per facility. Other facilities like Likii, Kimanjo, Salama, and Rumuruti have pharmaceutical and laboratory technologists, clinical officers and public health officers,” he added.
The governor further revealed that health facilities across the county had recently received essential drugs and other commodities worth Sh41 million.
“These commodities are meant to help in the management and control of diseases and I urge citizens to utilize our facilities even in the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
By Martin Munyi
Laikipia County pays NHIF premiums to vulnerable households
