Kenya News Agency
By Samuel Maina
Thursday December 12, 2024
Nyeri County Commissioner, Ronald Mwiwawi, has directed all deputy Commissioners, chiefs and their assistants to organize frequent public barazas to address the surging suicide cases in the area.
Mwiwawi who was leading the county in observing the 61st Jamhuri Celebrations at the Nyeri Kamukunji grounds, said he was horrified at the growing number of people taking their lives in the county which he described as alarming.
The administrator said it was unacceptable for people to continue taking their lives at such an alarming rate while those in authority do nothing about the issue.
“I have been in this county for less than a month, but what has alarmed me is the number of people who are ending their lives on a daily basis. It is equally disturbing to report that majority of those who are taking their lives are men aged between 60 to 65 years. We must stop this worrying trend and address the root cause of the problem.
In the meantime, I want all chiefs and their assistants to institute public forums with help of village elders and try to see how we can solve the root cause of this problem. We should not keep silent while our people are taking their lives by the day,” he said.
The administrator similarly appealed to the residents to support ongoing government projects since they are meant to uplift their lives.
He said as a public official, he will lead from the front in ensuring any State project being undertaken in the county is well articulated to the public from inception to its conclusion so that members of the public can get value for their money.
The CC singled out the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) as one of the key Government programmes currently underway but which he said has been misrepresented to the public making its inception a challenge.
Mwiwawi also requested those having challenges in registering into the new health scheme to visit the office of their local administrator or approach any Community Health Promoters for assistance.
“There is so much misinformation with regard to the new Social Health Insurance Fund which is not helping our people at all. My appeal to those criticizing this programme is to stop misleading the public and instead give the correct information since this policy is meant for the good of everyone in need of medical help,’’ he pointed out.
“One of the challenges we are also seeing is when patients visit Level 5 and 6 hospitals before they have sought help at the local Primary Health providers as required under the new fund. Let us seek the right information and also register into the new medical scheme and we shall soon be glad that we chose so,” added the Commissioner.
Speaking during the 6th National Government Development County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee last month Mwiwawi, asked residents to seek the correct information regarding SHIF to enable them enjoy the benefits of the new medical scheme.
The administrator said a lot of Kenyans were still in the dark on how the new medical scheme was expected to work.
He said a general lack of information on what SHIF and SHA is, as well as the miscommunication on where one is expected to seek medical care, has resulted in the bumpy transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund to SHA.
“The communication has not been unbundled well for all of us to understand. Many people are not getting the information as it should. SHA is working at Level II and Level III facilities which are the primary healthcare level where all of us are supposed to start. I am encouraging each of us to take time to understand how SHA is working,” said the CC.
“The mistake people are making is they are going directly to Level 4 and Level 5 before passing through Level 2 and 3, and that is where we are getting complications. When you get to a Level 4 or Level 5 without a referral from Level 2 and 3, you will not get attended to and you will claim that SHA is not working,” he added.
In October this year the Ministry of Health rolled out SHA, a health insurance cover targeting to broaden access to Universal Health Coverage for Kenyans.
Under the new cover, the Government is targeting to register over 50 million Kenyans in a medical scheme that will address the inefficiency and lack of inclusivity that had characterised the 60-year-old NHIF cover.
Additionally, employed individuals are expected to contribute 2.75 per cent of their monthly income to SHA.
For individuals without a constant or fixed monthly income, their contribution was to be calculated using a means-testing tool which would rely on the individual’s assets and the earnings.
As of November 19, Nyeri County had registered 21.1 per cent of its population under SHA. According to data from the Health Ministry, out of a target population 759,164, a total of 160,162 had been enlisted under the cover.
The County Commissioner has also raised alarm over what he described as an unfortunate tendency by unscrupulous individuals who are mobilising old men and women and promising to register them as Mau Mau war veterans.
He condemned the practice and said the Government will from henceforth keenly scrutinise such groupings to ensure only legitimate members are recognised during national celebrations.
“I have met a total of four different groups each claiming to belong to the original Mau Mau war veterans Association. When we inquired further, we came to establish that some people intending to capitalize on the vulnerability of the elderly, had actually decided to take advantage of their gullibility to pursue their personal selfish gain. We must bring to an end such practices and never allow persons other than legitimate Mau Mau veterans get undue recognition,” he stated.