The Tharaka Nithi County government announced that residents would now access free healthcare services at all primary care networks, including dispensaries and healthcare centres, provided they were registered under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The directive was issued by County Governor Muthomi Njuki, who also chairs the Council of Governors' Health Committee. Njuki reiterated that all residents had the right to access universal healthcare at county facilities without incurring any costs, as long as they were part of the Social Health Authority, which replaced the now-defunct NHIF.
The governor observed that Tharaka Nithi had 123,486 residents out of 463,000 who had registered for SHA, a figure which represented 27 per cent of the country's population.
"I have issued three directives: anyone who has registered for SHA, even without paying, you will get free medical services in dispensaries and level 2 health centres as long as you are not admitted," the governor said.
At Level 3 healthcare facilities, outpatient healthcare services were to be free for registered residents, according to Governor Njuki. However, those requiring inpatient care or referrals for admission had to be fully paid-up members of the scheme.
"Those seeking services at Level 4 and Level 5 facilities, I declare today as the governor that you will not be required to incur any additional charges as long as you've registered for SHA and have remitted what you're supposed to remit," he added.
One of the key challenges the Tharaka Nithi County government faced since the rollout of SHA was educating the public on its benefits. This, according to the governor, prompted them to devise fresh strategies, such as incentivising free medical care, to increase registration numbers.
The rollout of SHIF saw varying registration levels across counties, with Mombasa, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Bomet leading in registration. According to the Health Ministry, Turkana, West Pokot, Garissa, and Samburu had the lowest uptake.
As of February 5, 2025, SHIF registration had reached 18,988,530 Kenyans across different counties.
To increase registration numbers, the Ministry of Health appeared to have changed its approach by collaborating with county governments and community stakeholders to boost enrolment, particularly in regions unfamiliar with the specifics of Universal Health Coverage.
Notably, Tharaka Nithi is not the first county to introduce such a program. On December 31, 2024, Murang’a County launched a similar free healthcare initiative following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health.
The cover, dubbed Kang’ata Care according to SHA, targeted the elderly, orphans, and chronically ill in the county. It will run from January 1, 2025, and end on December 31.
At least 31,000 beneficiaries of the program will receive wide benefits including inpatient and outpatient services, maternity care, and emergency care. The services will be provided by contracted healthcare providers in the county.
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