Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has defended the government’s Taifa Care under the Universal Health Coverage program, urging Kenyans to ignore politicians trying to block its rollout.
Speaking during the launch of digital healthcare devices, Waiguru encouraged citizens to register in large numbers so as to benefit from the program adding that it is already improving healthcare in Kenya.
"Some people are going on the media saying Taifa Care is not working. I have not responded yet because this is the time to work hard and deliver on our promises," Waiguru said.
Waiguru also urged Kenyans not to be misled by politicians since they have their own health insurance.
"Do not listen to politicians; they have their own health insurance, yet they are telling you not to register. Luckily, our people are registering in large numbers, and I know we are not second in the country but number one," Waiguru stated.
Waiguru explained that Taifa Care is improving service delivery by making healthcare more accessible and affordable.
"With this system, I can monitor what is happening in hospitals from my computer. I can see how many patients visit each facility, understand the demand, and ensure we have enough supplies," she said.
She also noted that digitisation under Taifa Care has increased revenue collection in county hospitals.
"We used to struggle to collect revenue in health facilities, bringing in between Ksh130 million and Ksh140 million. But this year, we set a target of Ksh200 million and even before March is over, we have already passed that target," she said.
Waiguru added that they expect revenue to reach Ksh300 million by June before the year ends; they will have achieved the target of Ksh300 million.
She said this has been possible because of the Taifa Care program and Social Health Authority (SHA) payments, adding that SHA has already paid Ksh75 million out of Ksh103 million.
She noted that if someone wants to confirm whether the Taifa Care is working, then they should visit Kirinyaga and see the impact for themselves.
