The government Wednesday launched the National Social Health Authority (SHA) registration drive for inmates.
The exercise shall be conducted countrywide in all prisons and probation centres, in the spirit of leaving no one behind — Universal Health Coverage.
The government will pay the premiums for prisoners through the State Department of Correctional Services.
The registration drive, which also includes National Identification, was launched at Lang’ata Women Prison in Nairobi.
Present were Principal Secretaries Dr Ouma Oluga (Medical Services), Belio Kipsang (Immigration and Citizen Services), Dr Salome Beacco (Correctional Services), and Dr Aurelia Chepkirui Rono (Parliamentary Affairs).
Also in attendance were the Commissioner General of Prisons, Patrick Mwiti Aranduh, and Acting SHA CEO, Robert Ingasira.
Dr Beacco said it is important that every Kenyan registers for SHA so that no one is left behind.
“Sometimes we resist change because we do not understand it,” she said.
She added that in prisons, 8,000 inmates have already been registered, and the programme is now being scaled up to ensure every prisoner is covered.
Dr Oluga said the government is keen on attaining Universal Health Coverage by ensuring every citizen has medical cover.
He noted that this extends to special groups, including prisoners and other vulnerable members of society.
Dr Kipsang said the government is committed to ensuring its programmes are inclusive, citing the rollout of SHA in prisons.
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