Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo Barasa with Council of Governors Health Committee chairman and Tharaka Nithi County governor Muthomi Njuki during yesterday's forum
By MKT Correspondent
The government says it is ready to roll out the Social Health Insurance from October 1st, even as it faces the challenge of numbers that have registered so far.
In an engagement with media on the roll out expected in the next 11 days, Ministry of Health officials told journalists that so far, only 1.2 million Kenyans had registered but were optimistic the numbers would rise before official rollout.
Consequently, the ministry and the council of governors are seeking new ways of enticing Kenyans to register with goodies being proposed as an enticement for those especially in the rural areas to register.
Council of Governors Health Committee chairperson and Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki said the use of Community Health Promoters is not enough is registering over 44 million Kenyans still not in the SHA bracket, asking the government to now come up with innovative ideas that will drive a call to action.
But even as the ministry says it is ready to roll out SHA, the danger of an impending court case challenging implementation hangs on their neck as a colossus with a ruling expected tomorrow.
According to Medical Services Principal Secretary, Harry Kimutai, the outcome of the case may alter implementation, but they’d be banking on a window that allowed government to go back to parliament in the event tomorrow’s outcome does not go their way.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni says the successful overseeing of community health promoters, a component of SHA, through their involvement of pushing a more preventive than curative approach, would also play a role in registering Kenyans on SHA
County governments have also called on the National Government to critically rethink health financing, cautioning that delays in disbursement of funds as seen under NHIF would cripple SHA, an otherwise well thought out plan.
Dr. Daniel Mwai, the president’s advisor on health financing says the implementation of SHA would greatly reduce dependence on WHATSAPP financing which has led to Kenyans being in different whatsapp groups at a time.
On his part, Director General Patrick Amoth says under SHA, there would be a plan to cater for those seeking treatment abroad as they would negotiate for better rates.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo Barasa wants Kenyans to focus their energies into registering for SHA arguing it would be the way out of health problems that have led to numerous harambees.
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