Kajiado Health volunteers to push UHC beneficiaries to 50,000

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku during the handover of health kits to more than 50 health volunteers to push UHC beneficiaries to 50,000 families, during the Jamhuri day celebrations at Kimana town in Kajiado South. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Kajiado County Government has launched a drive to double beneficiaries of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Governor Joseph Ole Lenku announced the new Community Health Promoter targets to increase the beneficiaries to 50,000 in the next one year.

Presently, only 25,000 households are enlisted.

While deploying the 2,100 health volunteers during the Jamhuri Day celebrations in Kimana town, Lenku said they had been put on a monthly stipend.

He said they have also been issued with the necessary equipment to enable them to carry out preliminary tests before referring residents to hospitals in the County for further medical attention.

Lenku also issued NHIF cards to more than 500 elders aged above 65 years. He urged the volunteers to focus on the elderly, the poor and the disadvantaged in the society.

"This drive is taking UHC to the lowest levels at the grassroots. Earlier, there were challenges of health personnel to reach all corners. Now we have the manpower needed to reach people at the grassroots in all wards," said Lenku.

He said the health volunteers are focused on preventive care to reduce the families' curative care which has weighed down many.

The health promoters will be pushing forward the principle of the Mbuzi Moja, Afya Bora Program in the county where families are urged to invest in a goat and pay for the NHIF insurance.

The goats from the families are sold in a public auction and the proceeds are remitted to the NHIF by the County Government.

County Commissioner Jude Wesonga hailed the initiative and promised that both the County and the National Government would work together to ensure it succeeded.