Dear reader,
Government communication is crisis communication in reality. Last week we were dealing with the JKIA issue and this week, we are looking at how the Social Health Authority programme is being rolled out towards the launch on October 1, in order to realise universal health coverage for all Kenyans.
There have been several attempts in the past, under both the third and fourth administration, but with minimal success, other than reforming certain aspects of the healthcare system.
This is the reason as to why THE BETA PLAN identifies healthcare as one of the five key pillars of the fifth administration.
The Bottom-Up Economic Transformational Agenda prioritises universal health coverage for all Kenyans, regardless of their financial status.
This initiative is built on four key aspects namely: Sustainable Health Financing, Effective Supply of Health Care Products and Technologies, Adequate Healthcare Workforce and Comprehensive Integrated Health Information Systems.
Sustainable financing has been a challenge under the National Health Insurance Fund, which primarily relies on contributions from employed individuals.
This focus has hindered broader health financing, which is essential for providing equitable healthcare services, to all Kenyans.
To address the challenges, the government established the Social Health Authority which aims at including all adult Kenyans in contributing to a sustainable fund that covers a wider range of health services.
It ensures that every citizen can access quality healthcare, through enhanced Government financing.
Through the newly introduced legal frameworks namely: the Primary Healthcare Act, the Social Health Insurance Act, along with the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Act.
Three thematic funds have been created namely: the primary Health Care, the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund, (both of which will be publicly financed), and the Social Health Insurance Fund, to be financed through individual contributions.
The shift from NHIF to SHA will help provide comprehensive, quality, and equitable healthcare for all Kenyans, including those in the informal employment sector.
Through the engagement of community health promoters, SHA envisions a system in which preventive and promotive healthcare services work towards early diagnosis and treatment, further lessening the disease burden and the congestion of our public health facilities.
Under NHIF, registered members contribute a minimum of Sh500 per month, regardless of their financial situation.
Upon registration with SHA, Kenyans will gain access to consultation, diagnostic, laboratory services, drug administration and treatment for various diseases, including non-communicable diseases.
These services will be available in levels 2, 3 and selected 4 facilities.
The Social Health Authority will also expand coverage for chronic and critical illnesses such as cancer, specialised surgical procedures like organ transplants and end-of-life care.
Another key feature of SHA is the enhanced Linda Mama package, which supports maternal and child healthcare. This package addresses high maternal and infant mortality rates by covering all antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services, unlike NHIF, which provided antenatal and delivery care only.
The package also includes AntiD Serum injections for Rhesus-negative mothers, as well as care for post-delivery complications and infections. Additionally, essential newborn care including immunisations and management of neonatal complications will be available at levels 2-6 hospitals.
This comprehensive approach ensures better health outcomes for mothers and their children, reinforcing the commitment to universal health coverage in Kenya.
Other benefits under SHIF include: enhanced outpatient services such as lab diagnosis for sickle cell anaemia, asthma, diabetes etc. there shall be in-patient services as well to cover for admission costs, X rays, bed charges, physiotherapy and medicine.
In addition, there shall be coverage of renal, surgery, cancer management, and medical imaging services.
Further, the cover will also cater for medical and surgical procedures that aren’t available in the country through the overseas treatment component.
All the benefits of EduAfya are now catered for in the new program.
Currently, NHIF only covers those who are salaried and they are less than 20 per cent.
This has occasioned a very heavy burden on the rest of the society having to rely on harambees and contributions from well-wishers.
Instead of going this route in an increasingly individualistic society, the government is now coming in to aggregate healthcare provision by putting in more resources to our public hospitals in order for them to serve the purpose upon which they were established, having learnt lessons from the implementation of the NHIF.
In collaboration with companies such as Safaricom, the government intends to leverage on technology in order to ensure the effective roll out of the program to the lowest common denominator.
This rollout that has seen more than two million Kenyans registered so far starting with public servants, needs to be supported by all of us in order to gain from the momentum that is created by our collective synergy.
A healthy Kenya will help push our country into a true middle-income status, in order to leverage on our demographic dividend.
The government, therefore, urges all Kenyans including hustlers to register so as to benefit from the scheme by dialing *147#
SHA ni Afya bora.