Moses Kuria, Senior Economic Advisor to the Kenyan government, has assured patients of Meru Teaching & Referral Hospital that maternal and child care services will continue as normal during the ongoing transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the newly established State Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and Taifa Care. This transition, aimed at enhancing healthcare services across the country, has caused confusion among some patients regarding service payments, especially for programs such as Linda Mama, which offers free maternal services.
In his statement, Kuria emphasized that there will be no interruption in maternal and child care services despite the ongoing changes in the insurance schemes. He urged patients to disregard any demands by the hospital’s management to pay cash for these services, reassuring that the services under the Linda Mama program would remain free.
“To all patients of Meru Teaching & Referral Hospital. During the transition from NHIF to SHIF and SHA (Taifa Care), all maternal (Linda Mama) and child care services will continue as before. Ignore the demands by the Management to charge cash for the same. In case they persist, report to the nearest police station,” Kuria advised.
Kuria’s statement comes amid concerns that the ongoing transition might lead to disruptions or additional charges for services that were previously covered by the NHIF. The government’s rollout of SHIF and Taifa Care, under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, is intended to provide comprehensive health services for all Kenyans.
The Linda Mama initiative, which has provided free maternal healthcare services to millions of women, has been a cornerstone of Kenya’s efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality rates. Kuria’s assurance seeks to dispel fears that this vital program would be affected by the transition, which is set to improve healthcare accessibility across the country.
Kenyans are urged to report any instances of overcharging during the transition period to the nearest police station.
