• Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga threw her weight behind the controversial Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF)
• While some political leaders have shared their reservations about the new scheme, Wanga said it would ensure comprehensive health coverage for all
• She also claimed that the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) only benefited private hospitals

Homa Bay: Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga has defended the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

According to Wanga, the new fund will ensure every Kenyan can access comprehensive health coverage.

In a media briefing on Monday, November 4, the governor pointed out that under SHIF, more money will go to supporting public hospitals, unlike the case with the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), where she claimed over 80% of the funds went to private facilities.

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“Once we are done with the transition, we will have a system superior to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF),” Wanga assured.

“For every individual registered in SHIF via Social Health Authority (SHA), a capitation of KSh 900 will be sent to the facility where they are registered annually. This money will ensure individuals get better medical care in levels II and III facilities all around,” she added.

Since the rollout of SHIF on October 1, some Kenyans and political leaders have expressed concerns about access to healthcare.

Despite the challenges, the Homa Bay county boss believes the new system will address most of the issues the country’s health system has been facing for years.

SHIF registration: Homa Bay targets to register 1m residents

Meanwhile, the governor said she had set a target of registering at least 1 million Homa Bay residents to the Social Health Insurance Authority within the next 10 days.

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So far, over 119,000 have registered.

Concerning access to health care by expectant mothers and other patients, Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stephen Okello assured locals that the services are still available.

“I want to confirm that SHA is working and we can see all patients. As long as you are registered with SHA, you get all the services you were getting on Linda Mama,” Okello explained.

Is SHIF better than private cover?

Meanwhile, TUKO.co.ke reported that Kenyans are up in arms about the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) implemented on Tuesday, October 1.

Questions remain about the effectiveness of the social health medical insurance programme, as benefits for Kenyans are envisaged to be far less than those of private medical insurance plans.

However, Medical Services Principal Secretary (PS) Harry Kimtai emphasised that every Kenyan would receive equal benefits and those seeking additional coverage should consider private insurance.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke