Smart or Cellular Phones will be used in the registration of Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) members, Principal Secretary State Department for Medical Services Hurry Kimtai has revealed.
Apart from other digital registration gadgets, PS Kimtai said that Kenyans will be able to register for new medical scheme by using their handsets after following the instructions given.
He said the Social Health Authority Fund has made it easier for Kenyans to register for SHIF by ensuring the registration process goes paperless.
“Registration will be done at the comfort of your hand with either a smart phone or the other normal cellular phones,” PS Kimtai told the Fourth Medium Term Plan dissemination forum at Allens Hotel, Nandi County.
He appealed to residents of Nandi County to be on the forefront in the registration of the new health scheme describing it, ‘as the greatest transformation in the health sector geared towards on boarding all Kenyans to affordable medical scheme.’
“You people of Nandi should be on the forefront to register in the new health scheme. We will be communicating to you probably by 21st of this month when you will start your registration,” he added.
For the elderly and severely disabled persons, the PS announced that Huduma Centres or Community Health Workers will be used in their registration.
Kimtai revealed that Social Health Authority Fund will from July 1st start implementing the SHIF to the benefit all Kenyans.
“We are going to have 3 levels of funds and that is Primary Healthcare fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund,” he said.
The PS insisted that Social Health Authority Fund settled on the three levels of healthcare to ensure no Kenyan was left behind while seeking basic or chronic illness treatment in both public and private hospitals.
“You can be referred to any of the level six hospitals may it be Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mathare or even Kenyatta University teaching and referral Hospital,” he said.
He noted that Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund will come into place to waive the hospital bill after you’ve exhausted your account in SHIF.
“This is a new Kenyan medical bill insurance game changer in the health sector because it steps in incase of critical illness like cancer to offset the huge bill incurred,” he said.
Kimtai mentioned that a digital tool will be used to ascertain how each member will pay 2.75 percent upon responding to the posed questions.
“If you are not in formal employment, you’re a farmer or you’re a businessman; we’ll calculate and those questions will tell us how much you’re supposed to pay based on profits, or expected yield,” he went on.
Furthermore, to strengthen achievement of Universal Health Coverage as the country heads to Vision 2030, PS Kimtai hinted that the National Government has committed to pay 30 percent cost of certain equipments in county hospitals.
He said the move depicts areas of partnership between National and County Governments as it results to a win-win situation in our health system.
Other national leaders present include; Cabinet Secretary Co-operatives and Micro Small Enterprise Simon Chelugui, PS Ministry OF Education Belio Kipsang, PS Ministry of Sports ENG Peter Tum and PS State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services Prof Julius Bitok. The leaders highlighted how their departments were implementing MTP IV in various areas.
Nandi Governor Stephen Sang also present said his County Integrated Development Plan launched last year borrowed heavily on MTP IV especially on agricultural value added chain areas like dairy, tea and coffee.
By Geoffrey Satia
