KISUMU, Kenya, Mar 6 – Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has announced the start of remittance of monthly deductions for the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) from Friday.
Nakhumicha says the law will come into effect once the Attorney General gazettes them by the end of this week.
“We finalized the regulations by 1st of March, they are with the Attorney General and by Friday they will be in the gazette notice,” she said.
The CS says Kenyans must be ready to start contributing towards their health.
She says the government will immediately start deducting the 2.75 percent of their salary to be channeled towards their health.
She says the beauty of the new law is that it will help the poorest of the poor in society since the government will take care of their health.
“Even those with disabilities, the old, the government of President William Ruto will cater for your healthcare,” she said.
For the poor, the CS says the deductions have been reduced from Sh500 monthly to Sh300.
She says the new scheme will cushion leaders from endless collections of funds that goes towards the sick in the society.
Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday during the commissioning of Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) Kisumu regional distribution centre, Nakhumicha says no one will be left behind in health care delivery.
She assured Kenyans that funds meant for their healthcare services will not be misappropriated.
Nakhumicha says in the past the Ministry of Health had a bad name in terms of managing public funds meant for their healthcare.
“I want to commit to Kenyans that the money will be put into good use, the pilferage, the thuggery that has been there at the Ministry of Health will be a thing of the past,” she said.
The CS further noted that under her watch, she has revolutionized KEMSA and promised a better service delivery to Kenyans.
The new distribution centre will serve from an initial 10 counties before expanding to its full capacity of 19 counties to enable easy access to drugs.
Governors present, that included Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka and his Vihiga counterpart Wilbur Otichilo lauded the move which they say will ensure essential drugs reach the public at the convenient time.
Nakhumicha further directed the acting Director General of Health Dr Patrick Amoth to kick start the process of elevating Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral hospital to a level 6 hospital.
“I want to lead a team to inspect this hospital so that I can see for myself since many people have been asking for its elevation,” she said.
The CS further called upon Governors with big health facilities to give them up to the national government for management and stop fearing that they will end up losing revenues.