Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni Wamuchomba has explained why she thinks implementation of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) under the Social Health Authority (SHA) is a case of confusion.
The government has been pressed to explain why it ditched the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) in favour of SHIF, and now the lawmaker, a known critic of the Kenya Kwanza government, says the implementation of the new porgramme is a case of confusion.
“I am a certified health education and promotion expert in Kenya. Five reasons why SHA/SHIF implementation is a matrix of confusion.
“A rushed programme without successful pilot. The UHC pilot done in Nyeri, Kisumu Machakos, and Isiolo flopped. Population economic means testing is slow and inefficient. This should have been done before the big migration.
“Uncertainity of payments of debts owed to hospitals by NHIF. Hence the slow uptake of SHA services. Information dissemination gaps to the beneficiary communities and stakeholders,” Wamuchomba said in a post on X, posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
The legislator went on to point out that the lack of clear coordination between the national and county governments is a problem facing the SHIF implementation.
“Lack of harmony of functions between county governments and national governments. Some counties are yet to sign the intergovernmental participatory agreements (IPA).
“Unreliable SHA data systems, which keeps dropping amid operations. MPs Kamukunji will not sort these issues but rather play public relations only,” she added.
MoH’s stance
Even though critics continue to point out problems linked with SHIF, the government has continued to defend their push for the new health coverage.
Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has been at the forefront in pushing the new programme.
At one point, she said that SHIF is a part of Kenya’s move to affordable, quality healthcare for all.
She has also highlighted the benefits of the revamped health coverage that she says include family-wide coverage under one plan, access to emergency and critical care (e.g., dialysis, chemotherapy), and expanded inpatient and outpatient services.
Chronic illness management, comprehensive maternal and child health services, broader access to mental healthcare, and rehabilitative and palliative care, among others, are what the government says that SHIF will bring about.
