President William Ruto during the Ministerial Performance Contracts for the FY 2024/2025 at State House, Nairobi on November 19, 2024.
President William Ruto has admitted that the new Social Health Authority (SHA) has had a bumpy transition, assuring Kenyans that the government is listening to citizen’s pleas and that it’s just a matter of time before the system runs seamlessly.
In a State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, the President introduced a new name to replace the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund - Taifa Care, a model that he said will bring to life Universal Health Care in the country.
“This agenda is not just a promise; it is a bold commitment to deliver health through transformative financing reforms, making healthcare accessible and affordable, digitizing healthcare services to enhance efficiency, eliminate fraud and stop corruption, and empower a skilled and motivated health workforce,” he said.
With over a month since the transition from NHIF, 15 million Kenyans have since registered to be part of SHA, and more than half of the employers in Kenya have registered their employees.
The president reassured Kenyans that despite the teething problems with the transition to Taifa Care, he believes that the new model is a better option for Kenya.
“NHIF accumulated billions of shillings of debt because of misalignment between contributions and the actual cost of healthcare. Taifa Care has undertaken an accurate costing of all healthcare-related goods and services, in order to provide timely, effective and efficient service to everyone,” he said.
“I urge every Kenyan to take the most important step in securing dependable healthcare for themselves and their families: register now or at the earliest opportunity,” he added.
Earlier this month, private hospitals grumbled over the struggle to meet their operational costs because of disbursement delays from SHA.
The president has since assured that all hospitals will be paid their October claims by next week.
“Once the transition from NHIF is complete and SHIF becomes fully operational, Kenya will have a healthcare system that guarantees dignity, peace of mind and equitable access for every citizen for the very first time in our 60 years of independence,” he said.
A survey done by the Health Ministry late last year highlighted a limping healthcare system, with facilities begging for resuscitation.
The assessment also showed that the facilities do not have enough personnel that can offer quality care to patients. Under the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF) launched by President Ruto last year, hospitals are expected to be in a better position. The president has once again promised to make this dream become a reality.
“We are now doing the heavy lifting: Clearing decade-old debts, ensuring access to medicine and equipment, and stabilising a system that had failed too many, for too long. We are building a healthcare system that serves every citizen with equity and dignity,” he said.
The government has since October paid debts of about Sh5 billion owed to public, private and faith-based medical facilities.
“Another Sh3.7 billion will be disbursed tomorrow,” he promised.
“We will continue to clear the remaining balances in a phased-out approach over the coming months. This sustained effort aims to restore confidence in the healthcare system, and ensure seamless access to quality services,” he said.
Faith Okwisa, chairperson of the Chronic Disease Society yesterday said that there needs to be synergy in the implementation of the new healthcare model to improve its efficiency.
“We are urging the Ministry of Health and Social Health Authority to seamlessly function to effect the changes suggested,” she said.
“We encourage SHA to allocate up to 30 per cent of its budget to health promotion to improve preventive care,” she added.
