Taita Taveta House leader wants emergency medical fund set up

County assembly Speaker Meshack Maganga has petitioned the county and national governments to create a special health emergency fund.

Mr Maganga said the fund would help families who cannot raise money to offset medical bills.

The official spoke during the burial of a county employee who died at a Nairobi hospital yesterday.  

“There should be an exception in health care services. There should also be an emergency allocation in both levels of governments,” he said.

Health Executive Daniel Makoko urged locals to register for National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and go for early medical check-up.

“There is need for us to change our eating habits and lifestyles to protect ourselves against non-communicable diseases,” said the officiall.

The county employee was detained in a Nairobi hospital due to high medical bill and later died.

Emotions ran high as the body of Rodgers Mwakio was interred in Kirema village on the outskirts of Wundanyi town.

Present at the burial ceremony was Senator Jones Mwaruma, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, Majority Leader Jason Tuja, House clerk Gadiel Maganga and several county government and assembly workers.

Governor Granton Samboja was among leaders who sent messages of condolences to the bereaved family.

“Mwakio recovered well and after one week he was discharged, but due to the hospital bill, he was retained. He suddenly became unresponsive and died,” said a written eulogy.