Health sector players demand Gov’t action to address SHA funding shortfalls

Non-state health sector players are calling on the government to live up to its obligations and fully fund primary healthcare and the emergency and critical illness funds under the Social Health Authority (SHA), to make the program sustainable.

The government has been accused of relying solely on taxpayers' direct contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and neglecting to allocate resources to other funds, making access to health services difficult for many Kenyans.

"The current SHA model is unsustainable. Even outside of the politics, we went from Ksh.700 billion to Ksh.500 billion. A person makes a call and says there’s no money,” said Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association Chair, Dr. Brian Lishenga.

“The intentions were probably good, but what we are seeing is that things are not working. We have people on the ground, and they tell us people are unable to access services,” Rosemary Muganda, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Health NGOs Network (HENNET), added.

These financing gaps have been evident in the primary healthcare and emergency funds. When TaifaCare was launched, the government allocated Ksh.6.1 billion to the primary healthcare fund, which required Ksh.50 billion, and Ksh.4.1 billion to the emergency and chronic illness fund, which needed Ksh.75 billion.

"Primary healthcare in the country is underfunded completely. We suggest that MPs allocate more funds to support primary healthcare,” said Moses Mokua from the Kenya Faith-Based Services Consortium.

"These funds are underfunded because they are the ones funded by the government. The SHIF fund is funded by you and me. We are funding through the 2.75 or proxy testing. The Kenyan people are doing their part to ensure that SHIF is funded. Our appeal to the government is: do your part,” Dr. Lishenga added.

Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Deborah Barasa, appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, where she admitted to what the government has termed "teething problems" in the SHA system. However, she maintained that Taifacare is a step up from the now-defunct NHIF.

"The challenges are still present, but it is a journey, and we have to start somewhere. Our priority was to get everyone registered so they can access services. Additionally, health financing to ensure that contributions are coming up,” she said.

Despite these assurances, faith-based health providers have expressed concerns over the current state of affairs, particularly regarding the Ksh.2.2 billion the government still owes them. Private healthcare providers are also embroiled in disputes with the government over unpaid bills.

“We are facing a cash crisis. We are unable to pay our suppliers. We are holding crisis meetings,” Mokua said.