Social Health Authority (SHA) officials have vowed to refund a Nakuru-based patient James Ngaruya Kanyore who was denied services following the migration from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Speaking on Sunday, October 6, 2024, SHA Director of Corporate Services Ibrahim Alio informed the country that the authority immediately reached out to Kanyore following the heartbreaking ordeal where he was recorded crying live on television.
In the clip, James Kanyoru was seen walking into a Nakuru hospital to get dialysis, but instead, of using insurance like always, he is asked to pay.
“They told me to go tell my people to give me money and I don’t have any way of getting the Ksh8,500,” Kanyoru said tearfully.
“I am a 76-year-old man, I don’t have money. I am now sick, and blood is not flowing in my body,” he added.
SHA reach out
According to Alio, the SHA officials inquired about the situation from Kanyore’s son and realised that they were forced to pay Ksh9,500 to get dialysis.
However, Alio disclosed that SHA officials had agreed to refund him the money. Further, the SHA Director of Corporate Services assured the patient that he would not encounter a similar experience during his next dialysis.
“The patient by the name James Ngaruya Kanyore was a patient from Nakuru who went to a hospital in Nakuru town and he could not service the first day he went there.
“We followed up with the patient, talked with him, to the son and followed up to make sure that in the next session, he will not go through any problems,” Alio stated.
“The next session is going to be tomorrow on Monday and we have also agreed that we will refund the Ksh9,500 that was paid by him to the facility,” he announced.
12 million registered
SHA Chairperson Dr. Abdi Mohamed said the authority has made significant steps in registering Kenyans after NHIF was replaced by the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
He announced that over 12 million Kenyans had registered for the service.
He further assured that all registered SHA beneficiaries are entitled to free access to Primary Healthcare Services under the Primary Healthcare Fund at Levels 2 (Dispensaries), 3 (Health Centres) and select level 4 Health Facilities and Emergency services in all health facilities.
“We have so far registered 12,704,548 members into the Social Health Authority. This number includes verified members who were under the defunct NHIF and who have been transitioned to the Social Health Authority as per Legal Notice No. 147 of 2024,” Mohamed announced.
