Ngilu kicks off Kitui County
Insurance Cover(KCHIC)
The ambitious Kitui County Health Insurance Cover that will offer affordable health care to an estimated 270,000 households of Kitui County has finally kicked off. The launch at Katulani Level IV hospital now places Kitui County in the annals of history as the second county after Makueni to offer her residents affordable healthcare in the country.
Residents will only pay an annual subscription fee of Ksh 1000 to benefit from a myriad of services offered by the county government through this program in its 4 level hospitals and 56 other health centers.
Governor Charity Ngilu said the program will revolutionize the health sector in her county to ensure residents have access to high quality health services.
“I decided to prioritize the health sector in my agenda because all development is hugely dependent on the health of our people” Ngilu said when she addressed the more than a thousand jubilant residents who had turned up for launch of the program.
She said the program was “the beginning of a long journey of liberation of Kitui residents from sickness and disease” thus leading the county towards realizing a healthy and productive society.
“This program is for all of us. We all feel and are fully aware of the disease burden among our people. Let us reduce this burden and make our people healthy and productive” she added.
KCHIC covers a 24 hour ambulance services and medical referrals within the county, inpatient bills up to 24 hours after the discharge date of a patient and mortuary services of up to seven days after the demise of a patient.
All other promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services will also be offered in all the county’s health facilities through this program.
“A time has come for Kitui residents to choose whether to buy medicine or food. The latter is more preferable” the acting CEC member for health and sanitation Dr. Richard Muthoka said.
Health Cabinet secretary Secily Kariuki said, Kitui had made a huge step ahead in the provision of affordable health services in the country.
“I want to assure you of my total commitment, support and that of my ministry in the implementation of this noble program” she declared.
Wiper leader kalonzo Musyoka said the launch of KCHIC was an important milestone in the struggle for attainment of a social health insurance scheme in the country that will ensure all citizens enjoy quality healthcare.
“I want to declare myself the guarantor of this great initiative in my home county” the NASA co-principal said.
And while reading NASA leader Raila Odinga’s speech, Kisumu governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o traced the journey of universal health care in the country back to 2002 when the NARC government took over power from retired president Daniel Moi.
“It was well captured in our manifesto but sadly President Mwai Kibaki refused to sign the Universal healthcare bill into law even after the national assembly had passed it” he claimed.
Makueni governor Professor Kivutha Kibwana who pioneered universal health coverage in the country after launching a similar program in his county back in 2016 said time had come for all counties to consider subsidized health care for their people.
“Universal health care will ensure for timely stocking of drugs and other essentials in all health facilities since their demand increases with subsidized medical care” he said
The launch of the Kitui County Health Insurance Cover (KCHIC) comes shortly after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the county government and a national consortium of medics VIRION health limited that brings a pool of medical specialists to offer advanced medical consultancy and treatment in the county’s top facilities.
The idea is dubbed ‘porting health’ with the specialists pooled from various specialties among them cardiologists, paediatricians, radiotherapists and neurosurgeons.
Other leaders who graced the event include deputy governor Dr. Wathe Nzau, Kitui county commissioner Samuel Kimiti, MPs Kennedy Musyoka (EALA) Eng. Paul Nzengu (Mwingi North) Edith Nyenze (Kitui West) Dr.Irene Kasalu (Kitui women representative),former legislators Wavinya Ndeti (Kathiani) Prof. Phillip Kaloki (Kibwezi West) Isaac Muoki (Kitui South), Secretary general of the Kenya medical practitioners, pharmacists and dentists union (KMPDU) Dr. Ouma Oluga and Members of the Kitui County Assembly amongst other local leaders.
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