'I will die!' Dialysis patients forced to sell livestock to afford treatment amid SHIF confusion

Acting Social Health Authority (SHA) Chief Executive Officer Elijah Wachira has directed all healthcare providers in the country to continue using the hospitals' insurance claims management system to admit and discharge patients in hospitals as they work on the new provider portal.

This latest development comes as uncertainty grips dialysis patients in the country who relied on the critical service that was in the past offered under the NHIF scheme in most private hospitals, but proving difficult under the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).

The confusion surrounding the transition from NHIF to SHA is putting the lives of Kenyans at risk.

Seventy-six-year-old James Kanyori, a dialysis patient, for instance, is a bitter man. Citizen TV bumped into him in Nakuru on his way to a private medical facility, where he needed the lifesaving dialysis procedure.

This marked his second attempt of the day. However, the hospital was hesitant to offer him dialysis, a service he could previously access under the now-defunct NHIF scheme.

Kanyori left the hospital without the required care since he did not have the money to pay for the service upfront.

"Naambiwa niende nitafute pesa na mimi sina mahali ya kutoa pesa; Mimi ni mzee wa miaka 76,  sina mahali ya kutoa pesa. Sasa nitakufa nisipopata hii huduma," he said.

Florence Nyandieka, a caregiver, on the other hand, brought her husband to the hospital but had to part with Ksh.8,500 for one session. Nyandieka was forced to sell two of her goats to raise the dialysis fees.

Her husband, who requires dialysis twice a week, faces uncertainty as the family is trying to raise money for the treatment but lacks the means to do so.

"Niliuza mbuzi but sasa ikiendelea hivi sijui nitauza nini ingine; serikali tunateseka!" she said.

The Kenya Renal Association has similarly warned that the bumpy roll-out of SHA has left dialysis patients in limbo

"For the sake of our patients we want things to be handled with a little sensitivity," said Jonathan Wallah, President, Kenya Renal Association.

Amidst the rocky transition, hospitals will now be required to admit and discharge patients using the HIC system that was in use before SHA was rolled out.

A letter seen by Citizen TV, penned by Acting SHA CEO Elijah Wachira  to all healthcare providers in the country reads in part: 

"You are hereby notified that during the ongoing rollout of SHA you are advised to continue using the Hospital Insurance Claims system to admit and discharge patients at your facility. This system will remain operational and operate parallel as the Authority implements the new provider portal, which will be used to verify and process claims."

This comes as Treasury CS John Mbadi admitted that the Ministry does not have sufficient funds to support the SHA rollout wholly.

"I know we have challenges with funding this programme, the government took a deliberate effort……it is better to roll out face the challenges and make changes," said Mbadi.

Thousands of dialysis patients wait to see if the government will act fast and just how the new health insurance provider SHA will benefit them.