By Dorothy Musyoka
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has marked significant progress in enhancing healthcare services across Kenya, as reported by Director General of Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth.
Since the launch of SHA in October 2024, substantial strides have been made in improving service delivery, healthcare costs, and ensuring efficient management of healthcare services.
SHA’s registration drive has seen over 17.8 million Kenyans enrolled, with 13.2 million new members and 4.6 million transitioned from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
“Over 17.8M Kenyans have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), including 13.2M new members and 4.6M transitioned from NHIF,” stated Dr.Amoth.
Over 7,900 health facilities have signed manual contracts with SHA, with 2,602 facilities completing the e-contracting process and 1,753 currently finalizing their contracts.
Since its inception, SHA has reimbursed over KES 9 billion to health facilities.
“Since October 2024, over KES 9 billion has been reimbursed to health facilities, with an average monthly means testing contribution of KES 602.k,” stated Dr.Amoth.
The SHA reforms are aimed at eliminating financial constraints caused by out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, providing Kenyans with a more robust and accessible healthcare system.
“Under the Social Health Authority (SHA), significant strides have been made in improving healthcare services. Beneficiaries include 8 kidney transplants, 8,300 dialysis sessions, and the management of 21,000 oncology cases,” noted Dr.Amoth.
To streamline the registration process, SHA has integrated its system with various Government of Kenya data sources, including NHIF, the civil registry, and the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
This integration addresses challenges in capturing birth certificate information.
Dr. Amoth emphasized the importance of registering with SHA to secure healthcare services and avoid financial burdens.
He urged all Kenyans to take advantage of the comprehensive coverage offered by SHA and contribute to a healthier, more resilient nation.