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For eager moms, it is a lot simpler to get to quality healthcare today than it was a couple of decades prior. Because of NHIF Linda Mama, an activity propelled by NHIF, hopeful moms would now be able to get quality antenatal care, neonatal care just as postnatal care – all at the reasonable cost of FREE. This activity tries to allow hopeful moms to have a tranquil conveyance by offering the chance to do as such without paying a dime. It goes far to push Kenya’s healthcare to the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) principles.
NHIF Linda Mama is a basic healthcare package that targets expectant mothers who are otherwise unable to pay for healthcare services. Through this initiative, pregnant women, as well as infants, will have access to quality healthcare for 6 months after delivery at no charge.
NHIF Linda Mama is a publicly funded healthcare scheme that was launched by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in 2016. The main aim of this initiative is to “achieve universal cases to maternal and child health services and contribute to the country’s progress towards UHC”. Expectant mothers can easily register for NHIF Linda Mama through several simple ways.
NHIF Linda Mama Registration
Expectant mothers who are looking forward to benefitting from this free maternity program need to ensure that they are properly registered for the program. Failure to do so will result in them having to pay for their healthcare out of their own pockets. According to Mr. Geoffrey Mwangi, the fund’s Chief Executive Officer, expectant mothers should register in advance to ensure that they receive the service without any problems or complications. When properly registered, the mother and child will have access to quality healthcare for up to 6 months after birth.
Eligibility
All pregnant women who are Kenyan Citizens are eligible to be members of Free Maternal Services.
Where to Register
- Mobile phone
- NHIF Online registration portal – Here
- Contracted Healthcare providers
- NHIF service centers
- Huduma centers countrywide
Registration Requirements
- Pregnant women of age 18 years and above are registered using their national identification cards and Antenatal care records
- Pregnant women under 18 years are registered using their guardians’ national identification cards and Antenatal care record
- Pregnant women without national identification cards or guardians are registered using Antenatal care records
*On completion of the registration, a membership card will be issued.
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How to register through mobile phone
The simplest way to register for Linda Mama is on your mobile phone. All you have to do is:
- Start by dialing *263# and pick the language that you would like to proceed in.
- Next, select NHIF Registration from the pop-up menu that appears.
- The next pop-up menu will have two options 1. National or 2. Free maternity.
- Once you select Free maternity, another pop-up menu will appear with the following options: 1. Kenyan ID 2. Antenatal Card 3. Passport 4. Alien Card. At this stage, you need to choose your identity type to complete your registration process.
- On completion of successful registration, a membership card will be issued. You will have to visit an NHIF branch to collect it
Benefits
There are numerous benefits to signing up for this service. For starters, expectant mothers receive a comprehensive healthcare package that will ensure that they receive quality healthcare at any stage of their pregnancy. This service has an impressive package for every stage of pregnancy. For example:
1. Antenatal care
The Linda Mama initiative offers a comprehensive antenatal care package. This package comes with a variety of services such as preventing transmission of HIV from HIV positive mothers to their unborn baby. Mothers who test HIV positive will receive ARVs as required.
In addition to this, expectant mothers will receive a range of healthcare services which include preventive services which include tetanus vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis as well as the basic antenatal profile for healthcare. They will also receive free deworming pills as well as iron and folate pills to maintain the required iron levels.
2. Postnatal care
This package extends from the time the placenta is expelled up to 6 weeks after delivery. This package also comes with 4 personalized visits and assessments after birth. For the newborn baby, this package is inclusive of timely immunizations as well as a Vitamin A supplement. For the mother, this package comes with various check-ups to monitor her postnatal progress.
Linda Mama also comes with a long list of benefits that are available to the mother and the newborn baby for a year. These benefits include:
- Antenatal Care Package Antenatal profile
- Conditions and complications during pregnancy
- Skilled delivery.
- Neo-Natal care.
- Post Natal Care
- Outpatient services
- Inpatient services.
- Care for Infant Outpatient services.
The fact that the Linda Mama charges are nil (service is free after registration) makes it even better. It is, however, advisable to also get an NHIF cover if you can afford it.
