The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has dismissed rumors circulating on social media platforms alleging that it has scrapped the free maternal health care program dubbed Linda Mama from its list of services.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced the initiative during his reign in a bid to improve access and quality of maternal, newborn, and child healthcare services towards the attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Agenda.
NHIF in a statement dated January 2, 2023, has insisted that the program is still operational and that over 6 million women have benefited from it since its introduction.
“Attention is drawn to recent false social media messages purporting the discontinuity of the government-funded Linda Mama program. NHIF wishes to assure the public that the cover is still active as mothers continue to benefit massively,” the statement reads in part.
“The program, funded by the Government of Kenya, targets expectant women and aims at reducing maternal and child deaths. In addition, the program ensures mothers do not struggle with paying medical bills during pregnancy and childbirth and encourages them to seek the services of a skilled birth attendant.”
According to NHIF, once expectant mothers register for the program by dialing *155# on their phones or by downloading the ‘MY NHIF’ app, their membership is activated at any clinic, once their pregnancies are confirmed and this will see them bestowed with a one-year cover that caters for ‘four antenatal visits, normal or Caesarean section delivery, three postnatal care visits and vaccines for the child’.
NHIF likewise warned Kenyans against believing anything that they read on social media.
“The Fund urges the public to Ignore the false messages shared online,” said the healthcare provider.
