Disabled and elderly Kenyans to benefit from free medical cover

NAIROBI: The elderly and persons living with severe disabilities are set to get free medical insurance.

The cover, provided by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), is expected to be rolled out in the next 100 days, and will also benefit 117,500 Kenyans living in poverty.

This will be under the Health ministry's Rapid Results initiative aimed at delivering key services to Kenyans. NHIF will register 500 households per county in the next 100 days.

A number of those living in poverty have been unable to pay the Sh500 minimum monthly contribution needed to access the NHIF cover.

The ministry also said in the next 100 days, it will open four new medical training colleges in Iten, Rachuonyo, Molo and Othaya to increase the number of students who enrol for such courses under the Kenya Medical Training College.

To enable people living with disabilities to access benefits such as tax exemptions, and NHIF cover, the ministry announced plans to register 30,000 people with disabilities in the next 100 days, while 20,000 TB patients will be put on treatment.

The ministry said it will set up portable clinics in 100 sites across the country to improve access to health services in the informal settlements. These include sites in Nairobi, Nyeri, Thika, Kisumu, Mombasa, Kilifi, Eldoret, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Kitale, Nyahururu, Machakos and Kericho, among others.

Also on the cards in the next 100 days is to put 25,000 more Kenyans living with HIV and Aids on treatment as well test 750,000 more Kenyans for HIV.

In a bid to reduce malaria infections and deaths, the ministry said it planned to distribute six million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in malaria-endemic areas.