By Wilfridah Murenga
Cabinet Secretary Nakhumicha S. Wafula has restated the government’s dedication to enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
During a media engagement forum organized by SHA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, she unveiled a range of new healthcare initiatives aimed at improving standards and accessibility.
These initiatives include a wide range of essential healthcare services, including provision for assistive devices, dental healthcare, accident and emergency services, end-of-life care, specialized pharmacy benefits, mental wellness support, essential diagnostics, and disease screening.
The Cabinet Secretary emphasized a crucial element, that is the utilization of digital technologies by SHA to improve service delivery and ensure precise patient identification.
“SHA’s implementation of digital technologies will ensure efficient service delivery and accurate patient identification,” CS Nakhumicha noted.
By integrating digital innovations into the healthcare system, the Social Health Authority (SHA) aims to simplify procedures, reduce mistakes, and ultimately offer more efficient and easily accessible healthcare services.
This shift towards digitalization demonstrates the government’s commitment to embracing contemporary advancements in order to transform the healthcare industry.
The government has allocated a significant amount of money to support these efforts, with Ksh. 53 billion for public funding and an additional Ksh. 8 billion and Ksh. 148 billion earmarked for social health insurance, showcasing its commitment to enhancing healthcare services throughout Kenya.
The Cabinet Secretary also emphasized SHA’s dedication to upholding every Kenyan constitutional right to high-quality healthcare, with the support of legislative acts such as the Social Health Insurance Act, Facility Improvement Financing Act, Primary Healthcare Act, and Digital Health Act.
These legislative measures underscore the government’s proactive stance in ensuring that healthcare remains a fundamental right for all citizens, not just a privileged few.
The Social Health Authority (SHA) forum was attended by key figures in the healthcare sector, including Mr. Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary for Medical Services; Dr. Patrick Amoth, Acting Director General of Health, Dr. Timothy Olweny, Chair of SHA; Mr. Kap-Kirwok R. Jason, Chair of the Transition Authority; and Mr. Wachira, Acting CEO of SHA.