EduAfya programme, a former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s initiative is set to be discontinued by December 31st according to the new Social Health Insurance Fund set to be rolled out by President William Ruto’s government.
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) has told parliament that the programme that saw the free medication to all learners in public secondary schools has not been included in the new fund set to replace NHIF.
Appearing before the National Assembly Petitions Committee, NHIF Chief Executive Officer Elijah Wandera has said that they will terminate contracts under EduAfya programme by December 31st. This will leave over 3.4 Million learners countrywide without a medical cover.
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The EduAfya programme offers a comprehensive cover to students in public secondary schools captured under National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). The services covered include outpatient and inpatient, emergency air rescue, surgical operations and ambulance services.
According to Wandera, the Ministry of Education and health will have to find other alternatives for students’ medical cover. This is because NHIF will cease to exist therefore, the extinction will down the drain with the contracts.
“By the end of the year, NHIF will run down all the contracts it had with the ministry of education and therefore will have to look for a new provider.”
The CEO was appearing before a committee who wants MPs intervention to stop the implementation of social health insurance fund set to be rolled out by the government.
The programme was launched through a Presidential initiative by the then president Uhuru Kenyatta. This led to allocation of funds from the government to the programme to help cover medical bills for students.
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