Africa-Press – Kenya. Kitui Senator Enock Wambua on Sunday criticised the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) for failing to meet the needs of Kenyans. Speaking in Kitui, the Senator lamented that the implementation of SHIF has been a disappointment.
The Wiper-elected senator observed that SHIF has been a pain in the back for most Kenyans especially those in need of medication services, who are forced to foot the bills out of pocket.
According to the lawmaker, the rollout of the program was hurried and therefore, failed to capture key data for patients which has resulted in most people being denied medical services in public hospitals.
“For Social Health Authority (SHA), it is clear that everyone has seen that it is a system that does not work,” he stated.
He noted that sufficient time was not allocated for Kenyans to provide their personal information to ease the implementation of the SHIF. “At the end of the day, they are not given medication because their data is not available in the new system and for that reason, hospitals are not treating people,” he added.
Senator Wambua claimed that the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) was not the best system we have had but it helped people because it worked.
“I appeal to President William Ruto to give a second thought to this program. One day for a patient is too long to wait,” he lamented.
Senator Wambua also pleaded with the president to get enough advice about the implementation of new systems and make necessary adjustments to spare Kenyans from the pain of being turned away from getting much-needed medical services.
“I want him to look into the matter as a leader of the country and make wise decisions to make sure that there is not even one Kenyan who will be told to wait for a few days for the system to start working. Illness cannot wait for a day,” he noted.
“I want the president to know that in every corner of the country, there are sick people who are not interested in politics. Their only need is to get medication.”
On Sunday, November 3, a section of congregants of Africa Divine Church appealed to President Ruto, who was the chief guest, to look into SHA. “Frequent change of policy from NHIF to SHIF hurts these women,” Rangwer MP Lilian Gogo lamented.
These criticisms came barely a week after the Coastal Region chapter of medical practitioners and dental unions opposed the new SHIF system terming it as flawed.
The medics drawn from 6 Coastal counties maintained that SHIF does not adequately cater to the various needs of Kenyans forcing Kenyans to pay out of pocket despite being registered and being paid-up members of SHA.
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