By:Betty Luke
President William Ruto issues a working kit to a CHP during the ongoing Health Summit. PHOTO/PCS
More than 100,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and their families are set to receive free healthcare after President William Ruto directed the government to enroll them under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The new arrangement will allow CHPs and their dependants to access medical services without paying out of pocket at health facilities across the country.
“This plan will not only include you alone as an individual, it will also include your kins, or the entire family,” Ruto said.
The President said the national government and the 47 county governments would share the cost of the health cover, removing the financial burden from CHPs and their families.
Ms Halima Golicha, a CHV from Isiolo County hailed the initiative saying it would lift off a burden of accessing healthcare from their shoulders.
“We have been struggling paying for health services for our families. Sometimes we are forced to buy over the counter drugs because we could not afford services at the health facilities,” she shared.
The Ministry of Health announced that it had already verified the details of the workers and uploaded their information into the Digital Health Agency system, paving the way for their enrolment into SHA.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the registration process would begin this week, with all eligible CHPs expected to be incorporated into the system by Monday, August 24.
“By Monday, you will all start receiving a text message from the Ministry of Health on your phones because we already have your data,” Duale said.
The announcement offers relief to thousands of CHPs who serve as the first point of contact between households and the formal healthcare system but have themselves faced challenges accessing affordable medical care.
Kenya has more than 107,000 CHPs deployed across all 47 counties. Government figures show they have reached more than nine million households with preventive and basic healthcare services.
The workers conduct disease screening, monitor pregnant women and children, promote immunisation, provide health education and refer patients to health facilities for further treatment.
CHPs have also made more than 1.5 million referrals to health facilities, helping patients access additional assessment and treatment.
Beyond the health insurance cover, the government is preparing to provide CHPs with working kits containing equipment such as weighing scales, blood pressure machines and smartphones.
Some CHPs have already received the equipment, while the remaining workers are expected to receive their kits within 90 days.
Ruto also directed that the stipend arrangements for CHPs be reviewed by December, signalling further government efforts to address their welfare and working conditions.
