M-TIBA demonstration in Nairobi
On Friday September 16th representatives from the media were invited to a demonstration at St. John's Hospital in Githurai to experience first-hand how M-TIBA works.
- Sep 16, 2016
Media coverage so far: watch the news item on CNBC Africa, read the article at Capital FM and on the Standard.
After taking its first steps in Nairobi, the national roll-out of M-TIBA is now underway. In addition to the 60 healthcare providers already using M-TIBA in the capital, the first facilities in Kisumu, Siaya and Mombasa have already started signing up.
The M-TIBA mobile health wallet – developed by CarePay, PharmAccess and Safaricom – allows users to send, save and receive funds to access healthcare services using their mobile phones. It also offers a bonus program to reward healthcare savings and allows people to send healthcare funds from their own M-PESA accounts to the M-TIBA accounts of others, such as household staff or relatives.
Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom says: “For many Kenyans a trip to the clinic can create real financial strain. And it can have a knock-on effect in people holding down jobs, or having to sell their belongings to pay for basic care. M-TIBA can extend and transform essential services for millions of Kenyans. This is just the start of what we can do together to transform Kenya’s healthcare sector.”
Nearly half of all healthcare expenditure in Kenya is currently paid out-of-pocket. This means many Kenyans have no health insurance or access to mechanisms that pay for basic healthcare. This is a burden on low-income homes, with mothers and young children being particularly vulnerable.
Kees van Lede, Chief Commercial Officer, CarePay Ltd, says: “M-TIBA allows individuals and organizations to distribute funds for healthcare to people who rely on them. They can be sure that those funds will be used for healthcare only. And they know that their dependents are being treated at clinics that charge fair prices and follow internationally recognized quality standards.”
Funds on M-TIBA can only be used at selected healthcare providers, who form part of the M-TIBA network. PharmAccess works with these clinics and hospitals to improve standards and business management. And they sign up to internationally recognized ‘SafeCare’ standards, which aim to ensure better quality and patient safety.
Millicent Olulo, Country Director PharmAccess Foundation says, “To truly improve healthcare inclusion, we need to help customers save and pay for healthcare. At the same time we must help improve standards and services in those clinics and hospitals that display the M-TIBA sign.”
Users can be registered on M-TIBA through an M-TIBA agent, or self-register by dialing *253# on their mobile phones. The customer care center can be reached by calling toll-free on 0800 721253.