Kenyans will soon benefit from free outpatient medical services in all hospitals after the government allocated funds to facilitate free treatment.
According to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, the coverage to be offered under the new SHA medical cover will ease the burden of hospital bills for many Kenyans seeking treatment.
“We have appropriated Sh22 billion in the current budget to make sure SHA pays all outpatient medical bills in all hospitals in Kenya. If you go to the hospital and you are not admitted, you receive treatment and go home without paying anything,” said Professor Kindiki.
He spoke last Friday during a consultative meeting with grassroots women leaders and opinion shapers from Kirinyaga County at his home in Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County.
For a patient to enjoy the services, the DP noted, one must be registered lest they will not benefit from the free treatment.
“SHA will not cover you if you are not registered. It is encouraging to see most Kenyans are enthusiastic about it and so far, we have enrolled 25.8 million Kenyans. We hope to have all the 55 million Kenyans enrolled,” he said.
Further, Kindiki acknowledged the teething challenges facing SHA’s implementation but assured Kenyans that they are being addressed promptly to improve its efficacy.
“We are fine-tuning SHA. It is a new and expansive system. We are working hard to do away with the teething challenges but be assured that it is the best investment we have ever made,” DP said.
At the same time, the second-in-command said Mt Kenya region will continue to benefit from development as every other part of the country, underscoring the nation’s economic recovery as the catalyst to the ongoing development initiatives.
“We are happy the economy has stabilised, enabling us to revive the roads and other socio-economic activities,” DP noted.
In addition to reviving stalled roads, he added, the government will also prioritize dualling of Makutano-Mwea-Embu-Chuka-Meru Highway.
“Once we are done with the Rironi-Mau Summit dualling, the next one will be Makutano to Meru,” he added.
The administration is also constructing Modern markets in Kirinyaga County including in Kagio, Mwea, Kutus, Mukinduri, Kagumo, Kibingoti, Kibirigwi towns among others.
The DP warned against attempts by some politicians to resort to violence to manage politics in the region.
“We will not allow violence in our politics. People should compete on ideologies. Looting and torching people’s properties is not our custom; we are hardworking people who build not destroy,” he stated.
By Dickson Mwiti
