Slum dwellers in Thika town have been encouraged to apply for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) which which would help them settle their medical bills when admitted in hospital.
Gladys Gitimu, NHIF Standards and Quality Assurance Officer in Thika has said that many people in Thika's informal settlements were yet to embrace the medical insurance plan claiming that it was beyond their reach.
"Many Thika residents especially those in high risk areas like slums and other informal settlements are yet to register for NHIF reason being many say it is unaffordable. However, this is the cheapest health plan that you will find around because it has been developed with prevailing economic situation of applicants in mind. Many poor people from the countryside are have applied for it and are paying their monthly contributions on time," said Gitimu in her office in Thika on Tuesday.
Gitimu noted that quality healthcare is an expensive affair and that is why the government had come up with a subsidised health plan to enable its people access and be able to pay for it without many problems.
"We understand that many residents in the slums struggle to put a meal on the table but if you consider the many risks in those areas, applying and paying for NHIF medical scheme would be reasonable," she said.
The NHIF officer urged the slum dwellers to apply for the medical insurance scheme and be saving a little by little daily to enable them to pay for it.