Many teenage mothers in Baringo County fail to access Social Health Authority (SHA) critical services due to lack of identification documents.
County SHA official Robert Malel noted that lack of ID cards for SHA registration and healthcare access has remained the biggest hindrance to the adolescents resulting in them being locked out.
Speaking during a County Service Delivery Committee meeting chaired by outgoing County Commissioner (CC) Stephen Kutwa, Malel informed the local national government departmental heads that to salvage the situation, the Authority had directed that those affected be issued with temporary IDs at the facility level to enable the teenagers benefit from some of crucial services.
The temporary ID cards are supposed to last for one year after which the concerned are required to have acquired national identity cards.
The SHA official told the county heads that in the interim period, the young mothers are supposed to be removed from the medical covers of their parents. where they are listed as dependents.
Malel informed the meeting that SHA registration in the region stands at 53.1 percent, placing the county at position 24 in the country, way behind the neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet at 71.7 percent.
Malel assured the departmental heads that as SHA they were doing everything possible to reach out to those not yet enrolled to enable everyone access level 4 facility services.
The outgoing CC is heading to Lamu in the same capacity following last week’s transfers, deployments and promotions effected by the Interior Ministry.
Kutwa thanked the departmental heads for according to him the necessary support during his three-year- tour of duty in the county.
He urged the national government officers to take transfers positively, as it enables them to broaden their experience and expertise in the delivery of service, while the same time promoting national cohesion.
By Joshua Kibet
