Despite the establishment of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) by the government, the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (Rupha) survey reveals that nine out of ten Kenyans still cover their own medical expenses.
Despite the government’s pledges that the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) would provide complete coverage, the study, which was compiled between the 9th and 12th of this month, exposes substantial obstacles in the launch of both of these programs.
The inhabitants of Kinangop, which is located in Nyandarua County, are becoming more frustrated as they struggle to have access to sufficient medical treatment.
A citizen named John Mburu shared his story, saying, “I lost my grandpa because he was unable to get therapy. However, the SHA card did not cover the cost of the necessary procedure.”
Another local citizen, John Gitonga, expressed his disapproval of the system by saying, “When you go to the health facility, there are no services at all.”
“Dealing with SHA and SHIF presents a significant challenge. Even the general public struggles to understand the concept of SHA and SHIF.”
Another resident of Kinangop, Jane Nderitu, expressed her dissatisfaction with the increasing number of fatalities in the region.
Due to this, there has been an increase in the number of deaths. The health minister should personally visit and assess the situation. Due to this issue, she was forced to attend funerals every day.
According to the Rupha research, which was based on data collected from more than 400 health institutions, there are a number of problems associated with SHA. These problems include difficulties with patient identification and registration.
- There are limited benefits available for outpatients.
- There is insufficient coverage for services and prescriptions.
- Lack of access to covered drugs is a problem.
Rupha acknowledges that the SHA web portal has undergone enhancements; however, we strongly encourage the Ministry of Health to address these deficiencies.
Among the most important suggestions are the simplification of the Patient Verification and Registration procedure, the accessibility of the SHA Contact Centre for questions, the consideration of the outpatient payment model, and the enhancement of the SHA site.
The government argues that the State Health Insurance Fund (SHA) and the State Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) provide more benefits than the National Health Insurance Fund that was in place before.
“We now pay the cost of two dialysis treatments for people with renal disease, which is Sh21,000 each week. ” According to Mwanaisha Chidzuga, the Deputy Government Spokesperson, the State Health Insurance (SHA) provides testing and treatment for cancer, with coverage of more than Sh400,000.
Even though there are continuous attempts to promote participation, the Ministry of Health says that more than 14 million Kenyans have already enrolled for the SHA program.
