SHA woes: Gilbert Murimi’s ordeal under new medical cover
What you need to know:
For Mr Murimi, dialysis sessions twice a week at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital has been his lifeline.
The shift from NHIF to the Social Health Authority (SHA) has left Mr Murimi and countless others like him in limbo.
For the past eight years, Gilbert Murimi has been waging a relentless battle against kidney failure.
Life for the 63-year-old resident of Munanda village in Subukia, Nakuru County, took a drastic turn after being diagnosed with the condition four months following a hospital admission for high blood pressure.
For Mr Murimi, dialysis sessions twice a week at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital have been his lifeline as his survival depended on the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) which fully covered the cost of these life-saving treatments.
Gilbert Murimi sorts his NHIF and medical documents at his home in Munanda, Subukia, Nakuru County on November 28, 2024.
This crucial support cushioned his family from a debilitating financial strain and enabled him to focus on managing his condition.
However, the recent government shift from NHIF to the Social Health Authority (SHA) has left Mr Murimi and countless others like him in limbo and financial distress.
Last month, during his regular dialysis visit, Mr Murimi was taken aback when he learnt that his SHA contributions had not been updated.
Despite the government transitioning him from NHIF to SHA, the system’s flaws left him unable to access treatment unless he paid Sh9,500 per session.
“I was told that my contributions were not remitted, although I was transferred to SHA. The hospital gave me an extension of two weeks but after December 13 (Friday), I’ll have to pay cash for the sessions,” he told Nation.Africa at his home.
Mr Murimi’s contributions were being paid by the office of Subukia MP Samuel Gachoba for the past five years. The arrangement was a lifeline for him and his family.
Feels abandoned
However, the MP’s office recently informed him that technical issues with SHA had made it impossible to remit payments.
This new development, Murimi says, has left him between life-saving treatment and financial despair.
“The MP has been paying my weekly bus fare, medications and dialysis expenses. But since SHA was introduced, I was told it became difficult to make the payments. At the hospital, they said if it’s not resolved, I will have to pay cash,” he says.
“I wonder why the government moved us from NHIF to SHA. We were promised universal healthcare but this reform feels more like abandonment. With NHIF, I could at least sleep knowing I would see another week. Now, I feel like every session is another nail in the coffin of our financial stability,” he went on.
Gilbert Murimi sorts his NHIF and medical documents at his home in Munanda, Subukia, Nakuru County on November 28, 2024.
Before enrolling in NHIF in 2016, Murimi’s family organised a harambee to fund his initial dialysis sessions.
But the cost became unsustainable forcing him to rely on the Munanda villagers’ generosity and later the NHIF.
In 2019, MP Gachoba’s office stepped in to cover his annual NHIF contributions along with those of over 200 other elderly residents. This intervention provided him with a sense of security until the SHA transition disrupted everything.
“I was at work when I fell unconscious. I was rushed to hospital where I was admitted for four months. I was told I had developed kidney failure. Later, the doctor advised me to get a catheter,” he recounted.
“NHIF has been helpful to me. When my situation worsens and I get admitted NHIF always covers the cost. For eight years it has been helpful. I have been attending dialysis session for two times a week.”
Dialysis remains an exhausting and taxing experience for Murimi who has also developed a heart condition that complicates his treatments.
Gilbert Murimi and his wife Elizabeth Wanjiru at their home in Munanda, Subukia, Nakuru County on November 28, 2024.
His blood pressure drops dangerously low during dialysis forcing doctors to cut sessions short.
“I can only last two hours instead of the required four. This puts my life at risk but I have no choice,” he says.
Doctors have recommended a pacemaker to stabilise his heart, but the Sh380,000 cost is beyond his reach.
Pay for medical expenses
“The amount is too much for me. I cannot imagine how we can raise it,” he says.
Once a thriving farmer and timber workshop owner, Murimi has had to sell his tools, livestock and other assets to pay for medical expenses.
Now he relies on his wife, Elizabeth Wanjiru, and children who do casual jobs to supplement the family’s income.
“This disease has taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and financially. I was a well-known farmer but now I depend on others. I just pray the SHA works. I am on my last days and I want them to be peaceful,” he says tearfully.
His predicament mirrors the struggles of dialysis patients across Kenya as the shift from NHIF to SHA has left many grappling with financial uncertainty and disrupted care.
Mr Murimi appealed to the government to address the challenges with SHA and provide clarity on how chronic illnesses will be managed under the new system.
Save dialysis patients
“I wonder if this is how it ends. I worked hard my whole life, and now my family is losing everything because I got sick. Is this the kind of healthcare system we deserve? The government should do something to save dialysis patients," he says.
Mr Murimi says his family remains his greatest source of strength as their unwavering support gives him the courage to keep fighting, even as their resources dwindle.
“My children, despite struggling with their own financial responsibilities, rally around me with love and determination. I am grateful for that,” he says.
