Ministry of Health has ordered hospitals and healthcare providers to continue providing treatment to cancer and kidney dialysis patients as well as maternity services.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the Social Health Authority (SHA) acting CEO Elijah Wachira said that patients seeking maternity services dialysis and cancer treatment will not be affected by the ongoing transition of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the SHA.
Wachira emphasized that dialysis, maternity care and cancer treatment will not be uninterrupted adding that all level 2 and 3 hospitals should not deny them the services.
“Further to my earlier letter on the above subject matter, kindly further note that no member will be denied dialysis and cancer services. Maternity services should not be denied in KEPH levels 2 and 3, and actively managed schemes should continue accessing services,” Wachira directed.
Concerns raised
The directive comes after caregivers and patients raised concerns on social media over potential disruption in healthcare services due to the system shift with some being told they would need to pay out-of-pocket for services previously covered under NHIF.
Among those who raised concerns about the transition is popular gospel disk jockey widely known as DJ Krowbar
In a video posted on his Instagram account on Monday, September 30, 2024, evening, DJ Krowbar said his wife who is on kidney dialysis was informed that she would need to pay for the treatment starting October 1.
The gospel entertainer went on to say that his wife has been depending on the NHIF to fund her treatment since it’s costly and she does dialysis twice a week.
“So this evening at around 6:30 pm there, my wife got a phone call from her dialysis centre. Not only her, but thousands all over the country, that tomorrow morning, 1st of October, if you have to come and do your dialysis, you have to pay cash,” Dj Krowbar narrated.
“Thousands of Kenyan patients who have chronic kidney failure depend on NHIF to pay for their dialysis because dialysis is really expensive. It is Ksh9,500 per session so my wife does two.”
— Social Health Authority (@_shakenya) October 1, 2024
