The tragic death of Dr Daniel Ndenge, a young medical registrar at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), has sparked outrage among healthcare professionals, highlighting the plight of medics under the new health scheme.

The death also reveals the inefficiencies of the Social Health Authority (SHA).

According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the doctor’s medical bill stood at Sh300,000, yet SHA only covered a mere Sh30,000, leaving colleagues and friends struggling to raise the balance.

Dr Ndenge was pursuing his master’s programme at the University of Nairobi while working at KNH.

However, as Deputy Secretary-General of KMPDU Dr Dennis Miskellah points out, registrars like him are caught in a system that does not recognize them as employees, denying them salaries and healthcare benefits.

“The university admits them, takes their fees, and then dumps them at KNH. They work without supervision, generate revenue for the hospital, and yet, when they fall sick, they cannot access the very services they provide,” said Dr Miskellah.

Dr Ndenge initially sought treatment at a local facility due to the high cost of care at KNH.

Unfortunately, mismanagement of his condition led to complications, forcing him to seek intensive care at the same hospital where he worked.

Despite being registered under SHA’s emergency, chronic, and critical illness fund, the support he received was minimal.

“We are now fundraising to clear his balance because KNH has refused to waive the bill,” Dr Miskellah said.

SHA, introduced as part of the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plan, was meant to end out-of-pocket medical expenses. However, Dr Miskellah says the reality on the ground tells a different story.

“The president promised SHA would stop co-payments and out-of-pocket expenditures. But why are Kenyans still paying? This system is failing,” he says.

KMPDU has repeatedly called for reforms, arguing that SHA is neither efficient nor effective in meeting the needs of healthcare workers and the public. The union insists that the government has had enough time to fix what it once described as “teething problems,” but no tangible solutions have been provided.

“This is no longer a teething problem. If SHA were a baby, it would need medical intervention for failing to hit milestones,” Dr Miskellah said.

Dr Ndenge’s case is not isolated. KMPDU has raised concerns about yet another doctor, a radiology resident, who is currently in the ICU. The union fears that if SHA remains dysfunctional, medical professionals and ordinary Kenyans alike will continue suffering due to inadequate coverage.

“We hope that by the time this doctor recovers, SHA will have been fixed,” Dr Miskellah said.

The union recently met with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and other senior government officials to discuss SHA’s failures. However, KMPDU says the meeting yielded nothing but excuses.