As Meru county has witnessed a steep rise in COVID-19 cases during the last week, the residents in Maua-Igembe are apprehensive about the arrangements made by the government to include patients in the NHIF cover.
The residents complained that the current arrangements were not up to the mark and demanded that covid-19 must be included in the NHIF to cover for the patients as the cases were increasing at a sharp pace in the county.
The residents have sought immediate intervention of governor Kiraitu to emulate the county government of Kiambu which has included covid-19 patients in NHIF coverage.
John a resident said: “During a pandemic, the government should not abandon people. The NHIF policy was designed to cover all types of illnesses, and the coronavirus should be included.
There has never been a time when we have failed to remit to the NHIF cover, but the government should recognize that the coronavirus is more dangerous than other illnesses.
If I become ill with diseases such as tuberculosis, cough, malaria, cholera, pneumonia, or tuberculosis, I am supposed to be covered by the NHIF.
The NHIF covers a person with tuberculosis or AIDS regardless of whether he has paid or not. I’m curious why it hasn’t prioritized covid-19, which kills faster than AIDS. A person with AIDS can live for years while taking medication.”
Mr. Mutembei said: “We urge the county government of Meru to follow in the footsteps of the county government of Kiambu, which has included covid-19 patients in NHIF coverage.
The hourly charge for access to oxygen for covid-19 patients is Ksh 4500. We urge the government to act urgently because patients have been forced to sell land in order to cover the cost of access to oxygen.”
“President Uhuru promised us during the general election campaign in 2017 that health would be one of the four pillars of the big four agenda. People can’t get treatment now that the pandemic has arrived because they can’t afford it.
People will die if the government fails to care for its citizens, and there will be no one left to vote. We also urge the government to use the billions of shillings in funding it receives from outside the country to cover Covid-19 patients’ expenses,” another resident told Baite Tv.
