Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has outlined new changes to the Linda Jamii package, praising its expansion as a transformative step as the country seeks to achieve Universal Healthcare.
In an official statement on Saturday, Duale revealed that the Linda Jamii package is undergoing major changes, including increased maternity hospital reimbursement fees, to Ksh10,000 for normal delivery and Ksh30,000 for Caesarean section.
The ministry raised the reimbursement from the previous Ksh2,500 for normal delivery and Ksh5,000 under the reforms being done in the Social Health Authority (SHA).
''The government has substantially raised the reimbursement rates for maternal services to reflect the true cost of quality care,'' Duale revealed in the statement.
Additionally, the Linda Jamii package, which replaces the NHIF-based Linda Mama scheme, now offers comprehensive maternal care, including antenatal check-ups, delivery (normal or C-section), postnatal care, and essential newborn services. This marks a major shift from the previous model, which only covered delivery costs.
Another notable addition to the new package is the inclusion of Anti-D serum treatment, a critical intervention for Rhesus-negative mothers to prevent complications in future pregnancies.
According to Duale, this is a life-saving measure that was missing in the previous Linda Mama package.
The Ministry has also expanded Linda Jamii to cover not only the mother and child but also the father and other children.
"Under the new package, a mother can also register her spouse and children with the Linda Jamii, far surpassing the limited individual coverage previously offered by NHIF," Duale continued.
The CS has praised this new package as a game changer in maternity health, which is not only friendly to the mother but extends to the whole family.
These changes announced by the CS add to the many reforms Kenyans are witnessing under SHA, as the government continues to streamline and fine-tune it to meet Kenyans' needs.
One of the many changes under SHA that is not sitting well with Kenyans is the recent development where patients are required to pay for annual premiums, instead of the original monthly payments. The CS is yet to respond to these concerns which have caused frustration in many patients.
