The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has come up with a free medical camp at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which will help strengthen its commitment to the community’s access to healthcare.
The CSR events which are dubbed as NHIF Open day aims to strengthen community health services and support vulnerable populations in 12 counties spread across the country including Machakos.
Speaking during the Free Medical Camp at Machakos Level 5 on Friday, Timothy Malusi the Machakos NHIF Branch Manager, said that the Open day initiative comprises activities which includes free medical camps each designed to address specific healthcare challenges faced by the communities in the targeted regions.
Malusi who is also the NHIF team leader added that the medical camp will provide services including general consultations, dental, eye care, maternal care, childcare services, mental health services and non- communicable disease screening and management.
“By offering the free medical camp such as the essential screening and tests, NHIF aims to diagnose and treat illnesses early thus promoting better health outcomes and preventing potential health complications in future,” pointed out the NHIF Branch manager.
He said they have initiated the open day exercise within Machakos County for the past three days in Matuu and Ikalakala market and have been registering and targeting households as opposed to individuals.
Malusi noted that the exercise has increased the registration of members and urged Machakos people to update their details because there is biometric registration so as to access services in the nearest health facility.
He warned Machakos people to register on time to avoid creating groups for contributions which becomes a major challenge because of financial constraints.
“This is an exercise that has helped us to reach more people by registering them and has created awareness for NHIF and what its members stand to gain and their obligation in ensuring their contributions have been paid on time,” added Malusi.
He further added that through such activities, NHIF aims to demonstrate its dedication to CSR, contribute to Universal Health Coverage goals and foster a healthier more sustainable future for all.
Malusi noted that NHIF also empowers individuals with knowledge about preventive measures and healthy lifestyle choices, as it strives to foster a culture of wellbeing within the communities.
He however said Healthcare being a fundamental right and accessible to everyone, financial constraints and lack of information has often become a significant barrier to medical attention and NHIF has tried to step up and address the healthcare disparities in communities.
The NHIF Branch manager hailed the stakeholders such as the County government health department and the staff who volunteered their time and expertise for the noble cause.
This comes days after the Health CS Susan Wafula announced that the National treasury has released the funds owed to NHIF and that the process to settle claims by facilities had begun immediately.
By Anne Kangero
