Nairobi — Senior advisor to Kenya's Council of Economic Advisors, Moses Kuria, has urged Kenyans enrolled in the Taifa Care scheme to report any health facilities that charge them for services.
Speaking during the rollout of a health digitization program in Kirinyaga County, Kuria emphasized that primary healthcare is free for all registered members under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) at government, private, and faith-based hospitals.
He reassured the public that the government continues to allocate sufficient funds to health facilities across the country, insisting that it is unacceptable for patients to be charged for healthcare services.
"If you visit a hospital, are registered under Taifa Care, and are asked to pay, report the matter to the hospital in charge, the governor, and the nearest police station," Kuria stated.
He also urged health workers in Kirinyaga to remain focused on service delivery and ignore criticism surrounding Taifa Care.
"Let us stay focused from now until the end of digitization. Once the process is complete, all these issues will be resolved," he said.
Kuria noted that his priority is on Level 2, 3, and 4 hospitals, where most Kirinyaga residents seek medical care.
"Those who go to Level 5 hospitals in Kerugoya County Referral Hospital are far fewer than those in these lower-level facilities," he argued.
He further reiterated that SHIF was designed to benefit ordinary Kenyans who have in the past struggled to access health care services.
"SHIF was not introduced for the rich; they already had private covers and access to good facilities, some even go abroad. Taifa Care was created for the people who voted for us," he asserted.
Dismissing any chances of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) making a comeback, Kuria urged Kenyans to embrace the new scheme.
"If anybody thinks NHIF is coming back, let them take it from me--it is not coming back. Not now, not tomorrow, never. We are better off making SHIF work because that is what we have," he declared.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru echoed Kuria's sentiments, encouraging skeptics to witness the program's impact firsthand.
"For those saying Taifa Care is not working, we encourage you to come and see what is happening in Kirinyaga County," she said.
She noted that 41 percent of Kirinyaga residents have already registered under SHIF and that the county is receiving reimbursements for services provided.
"I have instructed our officers to work overtime to achieve an 80 percent registration rate by June," she stated.
Waiguru further disclosed that as of Thursday, Kirinyaga County had requested Sh 103 million in reimbursements, with Sh 75 million already disbursed.
She also pointed out that revenue collection has significantly improved since the introduction of Taifa Care.
"Previously, our revenue ranged between Sh 130 million and Sh 140 million. This year, we had an ambitious target of sh 200 million, and I am pleased to announce that we have already surpassed this target," She said.
By the end of June, Waiguru said that the County expects to hit Sh 300 million, thanks to reimbursements from the SHA.
The governor further emphasized the benefits of digitization, noting that she can now monitor hospital operations remotely.
"With digitization, I can check from my phone which facilities have attended to how many patients, how much money has been requested from SHA, how much has been paid, and what is outstanding," she stated.
Immediate former Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Harry Kimtai, stressed the importance of full digitization for hospitals to benefit from Taifa Care.
"To benefit from Taifa Care, a hospital's entire ecosystem must be digitized-- from Level 1 to Level 5 or 6," he stated.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He also noted that the integration of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) into the digital system to improve service delivery.
He revealed that all counties have voluntarily signed an intergovernmental participation agreement to join the program.
He further revealed that the government is in an accelerated phase of the rollout, with Kirinyaga being the third county after Embu and Mombasa.
"The target is to cover 10 counties by April and by September 30th, the entire country will be onboarded," he stated.
Leonard Njeru, chairman of the Kutus Health Unit, praised Taifa Care for transforming healthcare despite initial challenges.
"In my many years as a community health worker, I have never seen anything like this. We are now well-equipped with medicines and referral leaflets for vulnerable patients," he said.
Njeru also emphasized that government training has played a crucial role in ensuring effective advocacy for Taifa Care.
