More than 1, 000 residents of Baringo County on Wednesday benefitted from a free medical camp organized by National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Kabarnet branch, through health institutions within Kabarnet town.
The daylong medical camp was conducted by health facilities which included Baringo County Referral Hospital, Reale, Kerio Medical and Barnet Memorial centres at KANU office grounds.
The NHIF Branch Assistant Manager Syona Cherono said that the free medical checkup and treatment was meant to sensitize the locals on the importance of having a health insurance cover in order to access quality services.
Cherono encouraged the area residents to go an extra mile and acquire a medical insurance cover which will be of great necessity to them and their families when they need treatment of any nature.
“We encourage you to sell what you have, if you have goats, sheep, chicken or farm produce and get NHIF medical cover for yourselves and families,” Cherono said.
During the day long medical clinic people were given free quality primary services by running diagnosis on malaria, hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis B, eye and dental checkup and other outpatient services.
Rev Laban Kendagor, a resident of Kituro, who benefited from the free medical camp said that he received quality services, adding that long before he got insured he used to go through a lot of challenges but since he acquired NHIF he has been accessing quality and efficient health services together with his family.
Rev Kendagor urged the health service provider to review its recent directive that intended to limit the number of children to five beneficiaries, arguing that the move was punitive as some families are blessed with many children that would benefit from the scheme.
The Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) clergy also asked NHIF management to do away with the new directive of increasing waiting period from 60 to 90 days before one accesses any services in which one is expected to have paid Sh 6,000 upfront for 12 months saying some people might not raise the amount at once.
By Mercy Mutwol and Joshua Kibet
