The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced the dire need for increased contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF. This has raised alarms about the sustainability of medical services across the nation. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, alongside Director General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, expressed concerns about the alarming disparity between registered members and active contributors to the SHIF.
Despite a promising figure of 19.4 million Kenyans registered under the Social Health Insurance scheme, only a mere 3.3 million are currently contributing. This stark statistic poses a substantial challenge for the health sector as it grapples with inadequate funding to provide comprehensive medical services.
"Our goal is to ensure that medical services are available to all Kenyans, but without contributions to the SHIF, we face significant obstacles," CS Barasa emphasized during the weekly briefing held outside Afya House. In response to persistent complaints regarding systemic glitches and high tariffs affecting service delivery, the Ministry has launched the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel located at the University of Nairobi.
This panel is tasked with critically reviewing the existing benefits package to make healthcare more inclusive. "The panel, comprising experts in health economics, epidemiology, and actuarial science, will play a crucial role in shaping a responsive healthcare system," Barasa stated.
Moreover, the recently released figures show that while 8,813 out of 17,755 health facilities (equating to roughly 56 percent) are enrolled in the Social Health program, challenges remain in optimizing service accessibility. Since October 2024, over one million Kenyans have benefitted from primary healthcare services.
One breakthrough reported by CS Barasa is the significant improvement in the processing time for pre-authorization requests. This process previously took around 10 hours but has now been reduced to approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. This enhancement is set to reduce frustrations among patients and health providers alike. It also shows that the ministry is committed to improving service delivery.
@kushconcertseries
