Nairobi — Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa was Tuesday hard pressed to explain the confusion in transition from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) as Members of Parliament sought answers on the implementation of the medical scheme.
Lawmakers from the National Assembly and the Senate held a Kamkunji (informal meeting) to canvass issues on the healthcare scheme that has been met with revolt by Kenyans because of depriving them access to healthcare services due to transition issues.
Barasa defended the new health scheme admitting that teething problems had led to aspersions on whether SHIF will enable Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which is one of the government's flagship projects.
"There are many patients who are forced to go back home after they go seeking treatment but cannot afford it especially in the hard- to- reach areas. I would urge that you look at the bigger picture which is the achievement of affordable, accessible quality healthcare to all Kenyans leaving no one behind," she said.
Barasa implored the lawmakers to support the government efforts to rollout SHA through public sensitization and registration saying it's the new scheme is the magic wand that will streamline the health sector especially when the fiscal space is tight.
"Currently there are dwindling funds while County and National Government demands are rising. We have to ask ourselves what is sustainable. Very soon we will not have Malaria, HIV, and TB drugs and its either we fight the battle of registering more patients under SHIF right now or fight the battle of people going to the streets because our donors are not giving us funds for ARVs etc," she avvered.
On the Linda Mama programme,the Health Cabinet Secretary allayed fears that the health cover is scrapped under SHIF saying the new Linda Mama covers the whole household.
"You can see that under NHIF, linda mama covers the pregnant mother and the child for their pregnancy and delivery, but under SHA it covers the whole household. This means that the mother can go for ante-natal, deliver and post-nataly but also the husband and other children are covered as well."
During the discussions,Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung'wah had highlighted that negative perception on the new health scheme has watered down efforts on public sensitization especially when it was grappling with teething problems like system failures.
"You need to do a lot of public sensitization on the benefits of the Social Health Insurance Fund. That,as you say, is lacking from the public and you have partners in members of Parliament. Use the MPs and their constituencies as well as the Senators who are the defenders of our county governments,"said Ichung'wah.
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Leader of majority at the Senate Aaron Cheruiyot, lauded the new healthcare scheme amidst the wide criticism on the rollout expressing that it has sealed the loopholes of wanton theft in medical services.
"I know that previously, different facilities would bill NHIF different costs for the same procedure. And because we are being deducted a lot of money, can you confirm to members that cost has now been standardized. That if I do a CT scan at Nairobi hospital or Mbagathi hospital, SHIF will pay the same amount to both institution?"he posed.
Minority chief whip Millie Odhiambo demanded answers on the plight of workers formerly under the National Health Insurance Fund questioning the security of their jobs following the transition to SHIF.
"You have said that (NHIF) employees have moved to the public service for six months, Can you please clarify what happens to them after lapse of the six months?" she posed.
The transition from NHIF to SHIF has been fraught with issues, including technical failures in claims processing and system integration, leaving many Kenyans unable to access services. Hospitals have experienced delays in reimbursements, further complicating healthcare delivery
