NAIROBI, Kenya — Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki has championed the Taifa Care program, a key pillar of Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative, describing it as the “silver bullet” for addressing the nation’s healthcare challenges.
During a Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) tour on Wednesday, Prof. Kindiki spotlighted the program’s substantial progress, with 17 million Kenyans now enrolled.
This milestone, he emphasized, is a significant step towards achieving comprehensive healthcare for all.
The Deputy President’s visit included an assessment of service delivery, interactions with patients and healthcare workers, and the identification of areas in need of improvement.
Prof. Kindiki’s hands-on approach underscored the government’s dedication to refining healthcare logistics and operations to ensure timely and efficient service delivery.
“We commend the hospital leadership for working tirelessly to ensure KNH remains a leading healthcare provider in the region,” Prof. Kindiki said.
Highlighting the nearing completion of the hospital’s Kidney Institute, set to be inaugurated by President William Ruto in the coming weeks, Prof. Kindiki noted that initial challenges faced under the UHC program are being addressed.
The government is actively tackling outstanding issues, particularly concerning the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) debts, as part of the transition to Taifa Care.
“We are working to unclog the bottlenecks,” he assured.
Prof. Kindiki detailed the benefits of Taifa Care, including expedited claim approvals, enhanced post-transplant care, and improved nationwide healthcare access.
“Even the approval for claims is taking record time,” he highlighted.
Prof. Kindiki also visited various departments at KNH, including trauma care, the maternity center, and the non-communicable diseases (NCD) wing, to gain insights into their operations and challenges.
Urging Kenyans to enrol in the State Health Assurance (SHA) program, the Deputy President stressed the importance of widespread registration to harness the full benefits of Taifa Care.
“It’s important for us to ensure that all Kenyans have access to quality healthcare,” he said.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to continuous monitoring and assessment of Taifa Care’s impact, Prof. Kindiki expressed confidence in the program’s success.
“We are very sure that Taifa Care will work. This exercise of impact monitoring and assessment will continue,” he stated.
