If the government disregards the requests of public sector unions, particularly regarding the difficulties Kenyans and other stakeholders have reported with the Social Health Authority’s (SHA) implementation, the unions have vowed to organise protests within the next fourteen days.
The public unions, headed by Secretary General Davji Attelah of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), criticized the government’s inability to address the issues impeding healthcare access.
Attelah revealed that the move from NHIF to SHA has presented serious difficulties for public sector employees, civil officials, and the general public, despite several cautions and comments from Kenyans.
Attelah claims that without clear information about what SHA will provide, the government’s move to quickly deploy SHA impeded access to healthcare services that were previously available to members of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cards.
“SHA is taking more money out of employees’ pay checks while giving them less. This is intolerable since employees are paying more for inadequate care, endangering their health,” said Attelah.
SHA is placing families under unnecessary financial strain due to the rising cost of living.
The union officials also said there would be greater uncertainty since the switch from NHIF to SHA would jeopardize the employment of individuals covered by the previous health insurance plan.
The union leaders demanded in writing from the Ministry of Health that the government guarantee public employees’ access to healthcare under the new health insurance plan.
The union leaders urged the government to work with them to examine SHA’s faults and come up with equitable remedies for Kenyans.
“We also demand complete benefit transfers for all NHIF employees who have previously worked for the organization.”
Part of the statement said, “Public sector unions will have no choice but to proceed with industrial action if these concerns are not addressed within 14 days.”
The announcement of the strike comes amid public outcry about the Social Health Authority’s launch, since the majority of Kenyans are allegedly having difficulty getting healthcare services. Some Kenyans said they had to pay for their care.
Similar to this, when the government failed to pay multibillion-dollar debts to private corporations, several healthcare institutions vowed not to enroll in the new health insurance program.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa made it clear in a recent news release that no Kenyan would be denied access to free healthcare once the rollout got underway.
During this changeover, no hospital or healthcare institution will refuse to provide you with care. Barasa informed Kenyans, “We have already communicated that services must continue uninterrupted prior to the implementation of this progressive scheme.”
In addition, Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai explained that the move was made in compliance with the law, as outlined in Legal Notice 147 of 2024, in response to concerns over the abrupt mass movement of Kenyans from NHIF to SHA.