Gov't to set hotlines for SHIF complaints - Moses Kuria

Speaking on Thursday, Kuria said that the complaints will crucially aid the government in solving the thorny issues in the new unsavory scheme which has seen many Kenyans being denied medical attention.

"We have a hotline, we have a call center, and we are going to ensure that we publish the call center numbers for anybody who is being turned away for any reason," he said on Spice FM. 

"We will be using the reported cases to iterate and we use it to make the system work better. You will be helping us to identify the non-compliance point."

The former Public Service Cabinet Secretary asserted that all contracted healthcare providers have been ordered to attend to patients and not turn them away.

He further noted that the government is set to partner with the media and stakeholders to undertake a nationwide sensitization exercise on the unwelcome SHA, noting that Kenyans will reap better benefits than they received under NHIF.

This comes after members of the public have raised complaints about the potential risks the transition poses as patients seeking dialysis and cancer services were told to pay in cash or turned away. The NHIF contributions could not cater for their sessions.

The government has directed all healthcare providers and facilities across the country to adopt SHA to avoid disruptions in service delivery.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Health Principal Secretary (PS) Harry Kimtai reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting healthcare facilities following the SHA rollout on October 1, ensuring that patient care remains uninterrupted.

In light of the transition from NHIF, the ministry encouraged hospitals to continue providing treatment services, while commending the positive adoption of SHA by healthcare facilities.

"The Ministry is encouraged by the positive response from healthcare facilities, with many already signing contracts under the SHA’s Healthcare Provider (HCP) provisions," PS Kimtai said.