Laikipia's Unique UHC Model Arousing External Interest
Updated on: Dec 22, 2020
Laikipia has made progressive implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which has attracted attention of both the national government and other counties.
Laikipia has the highest life expectancy in the country of 72 years against the national average of 66.7 years and with the second lowest under five mortality rate.
Back in 2017, the Laikipia county launched the Community Health Strategy (CHS) an important component of the healthcare system which incorporated the Community Health Workers/ Volunteers (CHVs) to carry out the enrollment of the residents to the UHC.
Laikipia UHC model is different from others in the essence that it brought on board private entities such as Jubilee Insurance and Amref Health Africa to facilitate in the enrollment of medical insurance cover to the Laikipians and emphasizes more on preventive aspect than on curative.
This makes CHVs quite essential in UHC. Leveraging on CHVs grassroots network and mobile phone technology, the county has managed to enroll 67 percent of the households to NHIF.
Telemedicine
CHVs have designated area over coverage and they are able to enroll families to NHIF. At the same time they are able to collect socio-economic data of the household. It is this data that was used to distribute food aid to vulnerable families at the height of Covid-pandemic and also to identify families that qualify for medical cover subsidy.
At 67 percent, Laikipia is the best in the country in NHIF enrollment .
This ensures that every resident with a medical cover card can afford quality healthcare. Apart from committing more resources towards preventive aspect, the county is deliberately building the diagnostic capacity of dispensaries as well as streaming the referral system.
This has seen dispensaries like Wiyumiririe, Kalalu, among others equipped with modern lab equipment. The dispensaries also have maternity beds to ensure safe delivery of mothers.
HE Governor Ndiritu Muriithi was invited to two international health forums in Rwanda and Vietnam to discuss the unique model of UHC.
The model saw representatives from the national government come to benchmark on its best utilization to be enrolled countrywide.
"The governor has been encouraging citizens to enroll in NHIF whenever he meets Laikipians. He is always updated on what is going on in the health department, not because of COVID-19, but that has been his character," confirms Dr. Mogoi.
Other counties have benchmarked with Laikipia on matters quality health provision, automation of hospitals and interconnection with referral hospitals.
The county is soon shifting to telemedicine
This successful implementation has witnessed interest from other Counties health departments which have paid visit to benchmark on how best they can manage the UHC. Of importance is that the UHC is one of the big 4 agenda of President Uhuru government.
"We are running the best health system in the country with great human resource base," CO Dr. Donald Mogoi affirms.
Under the UHC model, it has enabled the hospitals to provide quality services, ensure majority of the Laikipians are covered and offer financial protection to them.
"This week we hosted Uasin Gishu delegates who came to learn what progress we have made in UHC investment in secondary heath care," adds Dr. Mogoi.
Social economic data
The county has invested in Health Management Information System (HMIS) which is the hub of running the hospitals. It is managing every step of the patient from the registration, treatment to discharge.
The HMIS has enabled the hospitals in the county to improve on their diagnostic capacity by keeping track of all the information of a patient.
The utilization of the IT has ensured efficient services as the hospitals are able to connect to the Community Health Workers who, other than help in NHIF enrollment are collecting the social economic data which is critical in decision making at all levels.
This interconnectivity from dispensary level, health centres and sub county hospitals is crucial in caring for the patients. The internet connectivity at the dispensary levels ensure that nurses can register pregnant women at the village level.
Laikipia has the highest life expectancy in the country of 72 years against the national average of 66.7 years and with the second lowest under five mortality rate.
Back in 2017, the Laikipia county launched the Community Health Strategy (CHS) an important component of the healthcare system which incorporated the Community Health Workers/ Volunteers (CHVs) to carry out the enrollment of the residents to the UHC.
Laikipia UHC model is different from others in the essence that it brought on board private entities such as Jubilee Insurance and Amref Health Africa to facilitate in the enrollment of medical insurance cover to the Laikipians and emphasizes more on preventive aspect than on curative.
This makes CHVs quite essential in UHC. Leveraging on CHVs grassroots network and mobile phone technology, the county has managed to enroll 67 percent of the households to NHIF.
Telemedicine
CHVs have designated area over coverage and they are able to enroll families to NHIF. At the same time they are able to collect socio-economic data of the household. It is this data that was used to distribute food aid to vulnerable families at the height of Covid-pandemic and also to identify families that qualify for medical cover subsidy.
At 67 percent, Laikipia is the best in the country in NHIF enrollment .
This ensures that every resident with a medical cover card can afford quality healthcare. Apart from committing more resources towards preventive aspect, the county is deliberately building the diagnostic capacity of dispensaries as well as streaming the referral system.
This has seen dispensaries like Wiyumiririe, Kalalu, among others equipped with modern lab equipment. The dispensaries also have maternity beds to ensure safe delivery of mothers.
HE Governor Ndiritu Muriithi was invited to two international health forums in Rwanda and Vietnam to discuss the unique model of UHC.
The model saw representatives from the national government come to benchmark on its best utilization to be enrolled countrywide.
"The governor has been encouraging citizens to enroll in NHIF whenever he meets Laikipians. He is always updated on what is going on in the health department, not because of COVID-19, but that has been his character," confirms Dr. Mogoi.
Other counties have benchmarked with Laikipia on matters quality health provision, automation of hospitals and interconnection with referral hospitals.
The county is soon shifting to telemedicine
This successful implementation has witnessed interest from other Counties health departments which have paid visit to benchmark on how best they can manage the UHC. Of importance is that the UHC is one of the big 4 agenda of President Uhuru government.
"We are running the best health system in the country with great human resource base," CO Dr. Donald Mogoi affirms.
Under the UHC model, it has enabled the hospitals to provide quality services, ensure majority of the Laikipians are covered and offer financial protection to them.
"This week we hosted Uasin Gishu delegates who came to learn what progress we have made in UHC investment in secondary heath care," adds Dr. Mogoi.
Social economic data
The county has invested in Health Management Information System (HMIS) which is the hub of running the hospitals. It is managing every step of the patient from the registration, treatment to discharge.
The HMIS has enabled the hospitals in the county to improve on their diagnostic capacity by keeping track of all the information of a patient.
The utilization of the IT has ensured efficient services as the hospitals are able to connect to the Community Health Workers who, other than help in NHIF enrollment are collecting the social economic data which is critical in decision making at all levels.
This interconnectivity from dispensary level, health centres and sub county hospitals is crucial in caring for the patients. The internet connectivity at the dispensary levels ensure that nurses can register pregnant women at the village level.
