[Photo: Sylvia Mueke]
A four year old heart patient is among many Kenyans locked up in overseas hospitals including in India, over delayed disbursement of funds by the Kenyan government to offset their medical fees.
The patient is reportedly stranded after receiving treatment and awaiting the guarantee of payment from the government under the new Social Health Authority scheme SHIF.
More others cannot access health services in the foreign medical centers due to arrears owed to the hospitals by the now defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund.
These revelations were made by the NCD Alliance Kenya during a press briefing attended by the chairperson of the caucus led patient led organization of NCDS Evans Njau, NCD Alliance Executive Director Karakezi etc.
The Non Communicable Disease Alliance of Kenya further accused SHA of gimmicking Kenyans by publishing services covered by the authority but provided in hospitals.
Speaking to journalists in Nairobi, the chairperson of the caucus led patient led organization of NCDS Evans Njau has urged the government to hasten the process of contracting overseas hospitals under the new health scheme noting that more patients seeking medical treatment abroad are unable to fly out due to the impasse.
The patient left Kenya under very severe condition on 22nd September, the baby was aged four years. They had complications with the heart and also they had some issues with their blood physiology. So the baby is detained at hospital in India called 40s Memorial Hospital, they are saying that the Ksh500,000 that the NHIF and issued as a guarantee of payment will must be honored before they release the baby back home.” Njau explained.
”SHA has suspended coverage for overseas treatments leaving many patients without options for specialized care not available within Kenya.”Njau added
Njau enumerated that defunct National Hospital Insurance fund has up to two years in arrears to hospital in overseas signaling a deepening challenge in the full implementation of the new health scheme that has severely and negatively impacted the patients managing non communicable diseases.
The revelations were part of the findings the alliance surveyed since the October 1, 2024, SHA rollout in Kenya to replace NHIF with systemic issues among the challenges highlighted in the survey.
The alliance also schemed through the challenges renal, heart and cancer patients are enduring including lack of a streamlined referal system integrated to the new health scheme forcing them to dig from their pockets to offset medical bill.
In its latest report SHA revealed that registered membership has grown by 44 percent, adding 4 million new members and bringing the total to 13 million Kenyans.
This membership increase led to over 10,600 maternal and child care visits, including normal and cesarean deliveries, and more than 21,000 outpatient and 28,000 inpatient visits.
Additionally, SHA facilitated over 15,800 dialysis sessions for kidney patients and recorded 265 visits for mental wellness support, a new addition to its services.
The UHC system has now enrolled 4,520 public facilities, 2,540 private clinics, 549 faith-based centers, 17 community-based facilities, and 76 other health providers nationwide.
The Ministry of Health assures SHA members immediate access to a wide range of healthcare services, with no waiting periods.