Nyeri county residents have been urged to enroll with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to cushion them against huge hospital bills.
Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga today said this is the only sure way to enable the residents afford quality and specialized treatment without digging deeper into their pockets and consuming meagre family incomes, plunging them into poverty.
Kahiga was speaking at Mt Kenya Hospital grounds in Nyeri town during the launch of the Mt Kenya amenity hospital and Nyeri county amenity health services.
The facility is a partnership between Nyeri county and AON-Minet insurance company that is contracted by TSC to cover teachers health care.
The Governor noted that most of the people in Nyeri County with insurances are covered through NHIF, AFYA Yetu (Community based insurance), NHIF for public servants cover (150 million paid annually by county) as well as other private insurances.
He added that over the years it has been observed that patients with insurance preferred seeking services from private and faith based hospitals because of long waiting time and congestion in public hospitals which was noted during the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Governor Kahiga said that teachers in the region will now be experiencing quality and specialized health services in a public hospital instead of rushing to private facilities where health care bills are a bit exorbitant.
He asked AON-Minet to meet teachers expectations in health standards lest they invite the wrath of their trade unions.
The county boss added that his administration is focusing on strategies geared towards changing the financing landscape that includes increased enrolment into health insurance as well as more innovative strategies of generating revenue such as the launch of Mt Kenya hospital amenity and Nyeri county amenity services.
He at the same time appealed to the National Treasury to disburse funds to the counties to cushion them against grinding services to a halt.
“The National Treasury owes the Nyeri County government to the tune of Sh 920 million. Our last disbursement we received was in November last year,” Kahiga said.
He disclosed that the closure of the ICU ward at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital was occasioned by the breakdown of equipment and the only company mandate to give the requisite parts is Phillips according to the Medical Equipment Scheme Programme (MESP) and assured the public the ICU will be operational next week.
Kahiga added “Nyeri County Referral Hospital is also set to benefit from a 200 million shillings improvement soon as well as acquisition of more health equipment moreover to cater for the mishaps currently experienced at its ICU wing”.
Speaking during the same occasion, AON-Minet Insurance CEO Mr Sammy Muthui hailed the partnership between the Nyeri County Government and his firm to offer quality health care to the clients.
Muthui added that his firm will strive to meet teachers expectations in health care needs and offer quality and specialized services to the clients.
Kahiga said that the facility is not limited to the teaching fraternity but is open to residents of Nyeri County to build on the county’s vision of “A Wealthy County, with a Happy, Healthy and Secure People” .