NHIF: Ignore rumours, Linda Mama still offering free maternity services
The NHIF building in Nairobi. Linda Mama is administered by NHIF and has an annual budgetary allocation from the National Treasury.
The national health insurer has come out to refute rumours making rounds on social media that the government-funded Linda Mama programme has been scrapped.
The free maternity service aims to increase access to skilled child delivery services and hence reduce maternal and infant mortality in the country.
In a statement dated January 2, 2023, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) said the programme is still running.
"Attention is drawn to recent false social media messages purporting the discontinuity of the government-funded Linda Mama programme. NHIF wishes to assure the public that the cover is still active as mothers continue to benefit massively," the notice reads in part.
According to the insurer, over six million women have benefited from the programme since it was launched in 2013 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"The programme, funded by the Government of Kenya, targets expectant women and aims at reducing maternal and child deaths. In addition, the programme 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."
Linda Mama is administered by NHIF and has an annual budgetary allocation from the National Treasury.
So far, 65-70 per cent of deliveries in Kenya take place through Linda Mama with over 1.1 million mothers registering for the programme each year, NHIF says.
