The mass biometric registration drive for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) health scheme has been launched.
The exercise seeks to provide affordable, accessible and sustainable medical cover to all residents in the area.
In Nyandarua County, hundreds of individuals have so far been enlisted. According to the area Deputy Governor Cecilia Mbuthia, the countywide campaign is also aimed at helping the already registered members update their membership through the biometric registration that will ensure that the NHIF insurance is simpler and more accessible to all citizens.
“We are targeting to enroll 15, 000 household heads, particularly those who have chronic illnesses, the elderly, the disabled and the poor to benefit from the county government sponsorship, alongside the biometric registration,” said Mbuthia.
See also; All NHIF members asked to register biometrically (See procedure and deadlines)
While encouraging Nyandarua residents to enroll into the program, County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo said that the government was seeking to have all Kenyans registered under the Universal Health Care by 2021.
“It will be too late to register when you are already sick or faced with a bill to offset. The government is targeting to pay for at least one million vulnerable households,” said Leparmorijo, while urging the local NHIF office to be transparent in the utilization of the funds.
NHIF Central Regional Coordinator Wambui Mbugua noted that they were targeting to have registered 40, 000 people into the new system by the end of this week.
She said that tents had been erected across all the sub counties in Nyandarua to have many people enrolled into the new biometric system.
The coordinator said that they were intending to minimize the struggles of a person accessing the service once the card is lost as once fully rolled out, members will only be required to use their fingerprints to access services.
The County governor’s spouse Anne Kimemia called on the People Living with disabilities not to be left behind in registering under the UHC noting more vulnerable cases will be catered for.
Read more details on NHIF here;
NHIF services: Guide on how to select and change outpatient facilities/ hospitals
The New NHIF Self-care Mobile App: How to download and use the App