A paltry 73,098 people, representing about 12 percent of the total eligible population in Vihiga county, have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), Governor Dr. Wilber Ottichilo has said.
The Governor attributed the slow pace of transition to the new health insurance system to peoples’ reservations about the package and the hitches associated with the online registration process.
The county head, who said this while delivering a state of county address on Thursday, appealed to the residents to embrace the new medical cover, stating that the difficulties hiccups being witnessed are typical of the kick-off of any new model.
Dr. Ottichilo reiterated that his administration has prioritized the health sector and that 16 medical officers were confirmed in employment this year after successfully completing their internship.
He added that they have been collaborating with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Non-state actors to equip and train the health staff for enhancement of the services.
“We have properly appraised the staff at various cadres and the report, which recommends promotion and improved remuneration, would be accordingly implemented,” he asserted.
In agriculture, he mentioned that in partnership with the Agricultural Business Development Programme (ABDP) and Tupande One-Acre Fund, 4,000 youth were trained in agribusiness to venture into horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, avocado and dairy value chains for income generation.
He pointed out that they are moving away from overdependence on rain-fed agriculture and so far an irrigation scheme has been established in Wemilabi central Bunyore ward where traditional crops including cassava and potatoes are grown as well as African leafy vegetables.
The governor observed that they are encouraging entrepreneurship among the masses and calling on the youth to leverage on the ICT infrastructure to do online jobs for socioeconomic empowerment.
By Sammy Mwibanda
