The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) spent Ksh 65.3 million in the financial year 2017/ 2018 to pay for the treatment of 685 patients suffering from drug and substance abuse.
This is slightly less than half the amount the Fund paid for similar beneficiaries in the 2016/2017 financial year, where Ksh 115 million was paid for the treatment of 1,634 patients.
The NHIF drug rehabilitation package caters for treatment of admitted beneficiaries who suffer from the chronic use of drugs, including, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, heroin, mandrax, and cocaine among others.
In Nairobi region has the highest prevalence of alcohol use disorders (18.4%) followed by Western 13.1%, Rift Valley 10.7%, Eastern 10.6%, Nyanza 9.6%, Coast 8.7%, Central 8.3% and North Eastern 1.4%.
Patients requiring rehabilitation are referred to the treatment centers by other hospitals, psychiatric doctors, churches police department and the judiciary. The rehabilitation cover includes a three-stage treatment program that includes detoxification, rehabilitation and after care arrangements.
NHIF Benefits and Contracting Manager, Mr Gilbert Osoro said the package has been in operation for the last five years but has suffered from low utilization due to the small number of accredited facilities for drug rehabilitation in the country.
“ There is need to increase the number of rehabilitation centres countrywide to cater for the increased number of patients suffering from drugs and substance abuse in the country,” Mr Osoro said.
Currently, there are five rehabilitation centers based in Nairobi and Kiambu counties Listed facilities include Chiromo Lane Medical Centre in Nairobi, The Retreat and The Raphaelites Red Hill place in Limuru town of Kiambu County, Mariakani nursing and Rehabilitation centers, and Brightside Drug Abuse & treatment Center.
So far Mathari Mental Hospital is the only listed Government institution and also serves as the national referral facility. There are state hospitals at Tertiary level (KNH and MTRH-level 6), County referral Hospitals at level 5 and Subcounty referral hospitals at level 4 which have psychiatric wards and outpatient consulting clinics and deployed specialists.
These serve as referral centers to other facilities that lack the speciality as cases of drug and substance abuse disorders are filtered and forwarded for further management at the said institutions.
The NHIF scheme caters for rehabilitation treatment through a package based mode of payment which was enacted in 2011 following ratification and approval by the Board of Management.
A rate payable at Kshs. 30,000 was stipulated per member seeking rehabilitation services at accredited healthcare providers per financial year and is still in use. The package caters for treatment of admitted beneficiaries who are conducted through a stay duration of 3 months on treatment.
Therapy involves monthly family sessions, group and individual counseling, residential drug-free treatment, therapeutic community engagements and anonymous programmes for alcoholic and narcotic admission cases. The enumerated sequence covers a span of up to 90 days.