- The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) called for Kenyans to reject the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF)
- KMPDU boss Davji Atellah said the new fund, which has attracted opposition, will disadvantage many Kenyans
- According to Atellah, the fund is designed to benefit private health insurance providers and not the members
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Nairobi—The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has opposed the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
In a statement on Tuesday, October 1, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah said the new fund will disadvantage many Kenyans.
Atellah argued that the set-up of the new fund would deny many Kenyans access to healthcare, including those who were benefiting from comprehensive medical coverage under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF)
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“SHIF is a capsizing ship! We have repudiated the November 2023 act with one message: it will deny Kenyans access to healthcare. A social insurance law with a co-payment component is a fraud. We have consistently warned that the comprehensive medical package provided by NHIF was superior to all other private sector insurance plans,” Atelleh said.
The KMPDU boss claimed many civil servants would suffer, given they used to enjoy comprehensive medical covers after relinquishing medical allowances.
According to Atellah, many Kenyans will be forced to dig deep into their pockets to access healthcare, which he said was intentionally underfunded.
“The stoppage was designed to benefit private insurance companies. For civil servants, this is a double robbery and tragedy that we cannot take lying down.
“With the current SHIF tariffs, everyone will be forced to DIG DEEPER into their pockets to access care. Public healthcare is being intentionally defunded and made dysfunctional. #RejectSHIF,” he added.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
