On Friday 29th November, the ‘Kang’ata Care Program’, a brainchild of Murang’a County Governor Irungu Kang’ata clinched the Gold Medal at the 2024 African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Innovative Management Awards.
The theme for this year’s 43rd AAPAM conference was ‘Agile and Resilient Public Administration for Sustainable Development in Africa’. Kang’ata Care was recognized for its effectiveness in addressing challenges of healthcare affordability and providing solutions to thousands of disadvantaged society members.
“Mine is to commend the county staff for their exemplary work in transforming healthcare in the county,” he said after receiving the award.
He established this initiative to help Murang’a County residents have access to better healthcare through the elimination of out-of-pocket barrier. The service has transformed so many lives in the county as people are able to access quality health service without suffering any financial hardships.
For example, Flora Karanja, a Murang’a resident who had always been constantly on the move from one hospital to another in the country in search of a good specialist for her weak joints and dislocated disc in her back. Many clinics required her to put in a Sh. 5,000 down payment before consultations.
“I sold my only cow to get my diabetes, high blood pressure and pain drugs, this was way back. I have since been in pain, I have nothing left to sell,” she recounted in a past interview, adding that she’d only survive on traditional painkillers and tablets.
However, when the Kang’ata Care program was rolled out, Mrs. Karanja armed herself with it and approached hospitals in the county where she was able to access free medical care. Through it, she has been able to have surgery on her back.
“I thank God that I am not worried about my condition anymore. Whenever I feel any pain, I can rush to any hospital as long as I have the card and get treated,” the elderly woman added.
The Kang’ata Care program targets the elderly, disabled and vulnerable in society after the Governor and his team realized that majority of the residents lacked access to the present day SHIF (defunct NHIF).
More than 42,000 households have been issued with Kang’ata Care cards as the funds were appropriated under recurrent expenditure.
“I ensured that we embedded this as a policy for continuity. Most of the programs that die with the exit of a regime are never policies. This will outlast our leadership,” Kang’ata previously noted.
“I know by giving free health care, the money will come back to the county government in form of profit,” he continued.
How your payslip will look like after new SHIF deductions
Some of the benefits of Kang’ata Care include free access to medical services (both inpatient and outpatient), treatment for chronic illnesses, dental and optical checkups in both public and private clinics. There is a last expense payout of Sh. 100,000 for principal members and dependents in the event of death.
Since the rollout of Social Health Authority (SHA), the Murang’a government has been forced to alter some of the benefits issued to members after it was unable to offer some of its components.
The county government, for example, floated a last expense cover won by Britam Insurance who introduced an age cap by excluding members over 75 years of age.
The insurance company also introduced Sh. 25,000 school fees payment for dependents of a principal member who passes away and Sh. 10,000 payout in case a principal member gives birth.
As of October 1st, the defunct NHIF was yet to process 560 claims under Kang’ata Care Program. SHA which inherited NHIF’s liabilities managed to settle 260 of these claims by end of November.