By PSCU
The Jubilee party will provide free treatment to all Kenyans aged 70 and above, through a revamped National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) package.
The pledge is part of the party’s policy to achieve free, quality primary healthcare for all Kenyans.
All new born children and their mothers will also get one year free treatment through the same scheme. Families with physically challenged children will also get insured.
The Party also promised to set up 10 new referral hospitals across the country so as to ensure quality healthcare at county level.
“Expand NHIF cover to all Kenyans above 70 years of age and provide insurance to families with children with disability,” reads the Manifesto
The party also pledged to ensure that NHIF will also cater for a broader set of services.
"NHIF will be expanded to cover to ensure availability of drugs, the party pledged to establish cold chains for drugs and vaccines to ensure safe and high quality drugs are available in the regions.
“Our commitment to the Kenyan people is to establish at least one specialised cancer hospital in the country to reduce the financial burden and other challenges faced by patients seeking cancer treatment,” reads the Manifesto.
According to the Manifesto Jubilee has increased dialysis sessions from 132 in 2013 to 522 currently.
"In 2013 we had only 56 ICU and four HDU bed in 2013, which has increased to 83 ICU beds in major hospitals across all countries. Other promises include connecting all hospitals to the Internet.
Jubilee’s full pledges on healthcare are:
-Achieve free, quality primary healthcare for all Kenyans.
-Expand the “Linda Mama” programme (free maternity programme) to mission and private hospitals and provide health cover through NHIF for all expectant mothers for a period of 12 months covering the period before and after birth.
-Expand NHIF cover to all Kenyans above 70 years of age and provide insurance to families with children with disability. Expand benefit packages for all NHIF members to cover a broader set of services including emergency ambulance evacuation, heart surgeries and chronic diseases.
-Continue the drive towards universal health care. By 2022 more than 13 million Kenyans will have health insurance through NHIF.
-Increase the number of health facilities at the community level, including mobile health services so that you and your family have access to a fully equipped health centre within 5 miles of your home.
-Continue to scale up the Managed Equipment Programme and establish 10 new referral hospitals.
-Establish regional cold chains for drugs and vaccines to ensure safe and high quality drugs are available in the regions.
-Establish at least one specialised cancer hospital in the country to reduce the financial burden and other challenges faced by patients seeking cancer treatment.
-Provide internet enabled communication in all hospitals to enable medical personnel to seek expert guidance and support from specialists across the country and abroad.
-Make health and medical tourism a vibrant socio-economic sub-sector in Kenya.