Sunday, November 3, 2024 – Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has lambasted the Kenya
Kwanza Government’s communication team for failing to effectively inform the
public about the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
Khalwale pointed out the
challenges surrounding the infrastructure used to implement SHIF, which he
believes has caused confusion among potential users.
“The problem lies in the
government’s communication through the office of the government spokesperson.
“They should have clarified that the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is
more expensive than SHIF,” he stated.
“The issue is not that SHIF is flawed;
rather, it is the mismanagement of SHIF that has created these problems.”
The new health insurance model has
come under increasing scrutiny from the public, with reports indicating that
some health facilities are requiring upfront payments before administering
treatment.
In response to these concerns,
Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai announced that the government has
disbursed 4.5 billion shillings for SHIF, with an additional similar amount
expected to be released soon.
Kimtai cautioned health facilities
contracted under the Social Health Authority (SHA) against asking for upfront
payments from patients.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
