𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗛𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦

By Nicholas Kigondu

The State Department for Correctional Services has launched the National Social Health Authority registration drive.  

The exercise that was held at the Lang’ata Women Prison is part of ongoing efforts by the government to enhance access to quality healthcare services for offenders.

Speaking during the launch, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco said the exercise which will be conducted across all prisons and probation centres across the country is in line with the President’s clarion call of not leaving anyone behind.

“As we officially launch this SHA initiative today, I call upon all of us—government, civil society, and correctional professionals—to remain committed to the full realization of health equity in every correctional facility.” Urged the PS.

About 8,000 inmates have so far been registered with SHA out of a national prison population of around 60,000.

According to the PS, the country must build correctional facilities that do more than detain by safeguarding physical and mental health of those incarcerated while at the same time upholding human rights and prioritizing rehabilitation and re-integration.

She was accompanied by her Medical Services Counterpart Dr. Ouma Oluga, Immigration and Citizen Services PS Dr. Belio Kipsang and Parliamentary affairs PS Dr. Aurelia Rono who jointly committed to supporting the State Department for Correctional Services actualize the vision of having all those behind bars registered with SHA in the spirit of the whole of government approach.

Social Health Authority (SHA) was created by the government to reduce financial hardships arising from hospital bills and ease the financial burden for contributors and is an improvement to the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

SHA is currently managing three different funds including the Primary Health Care Fund, Social Health Insurance Fund and the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund.

The primary Health Care Fund caters for services provided in dispensaries and health centres with the Social Health Insurance Fund meant for broader health insurance coverage while the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund deals with serious and urgent health conditions