The Cabinet has repealed the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) replacing it with three separate funds. The three funds are the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund. The aim is to create universal health coverage.
The Cabinet had a meeting at the Kakamega State Lodge called by the President. To avoid being locked out again, Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria opted to use a motorbike to get to the venue on time.
According to Hussein Mohammed, State House Spokesperson, the three funds result from a redistribution of the Ksh 550 billion. The money constitutes the total health expenditure.
He also noted that the exchequer would fund the Primary Healthcare Fund. This would happen monthly just like the NHIF payment occurred every month.
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The reason for this decision was due to the increased scandals faced by NHIF. Susan Nakhumicha, CS in charge of health mentioned that the Fund was surrounded by corruption and cartels. These actions were prohibiting the efficiency of the organization and delaying the funds supposed to be remitted to these hospitals.
Due to the delay of funds remissions, some hospitals denied patients using the NHIF card from getting any service. To the extent of having the patients pay cash instead of using the NHIF card for treatment.
Read Also: MPs Suspect Massive Fraud in NHIF over Sh9B Spending
Other Decisions Made by the Cabinet
Low Maize Yields
The Cabinet decided to also set fair maize prices so as to cushion farmers from South Rift, Nyanza, Central, Eastern and Coastal regions. Most of the farmers from these regions are suffering losses from the bumper harvest they expected.
Maize plants being harvested, have not yielded any maize crops. Most farmers have blamed the seeds that they were given for the planting period. Some went ahead to blame the type of fertilizer that they were offered to use which was subsidized by the government.
In addition to the maize prices, the government will provide the farmers with mobile driers. Driers ensure that quality and affordable inputs are available to the farmers and provide food production sustainability.
The government will also purchase at least one million bags of maize. These would be maintained by the nation’s Strategic Food Reserve. The President urged the Ministry of Agriculture to find proper storage avenues for strategic reserves of maize.
Read Also: South Africa Celebrates Fourth Consecutive Year of Record Maize Harvest
