Following challenges with the implementation of Social Health Authority funds, the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula on Monday, December 2, announced that legislators will hold a public Kamukunji at Parliament buildings to discuss key challenges facing the Universal Health Coverage Program(UHC).
According to Wetangula, the house will hold the exercise on Tuesday, December 3, at Parliament buildings to discuss the challenges together with hindrances to the implementation of the program, which has since faced a lot of criticism from Kenyans.
The Speaker announced that the decision to hold a Kamukunji was arrived at after Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo wrote to him requesting a whole Parliamentary session to explain some of the challenges to the house.
”Honourable members as you are aware the enactment of the Social Health Insurance Act, established three health funds, all managed by the Social Health Authority(SHA). This succeeded the old health fund, the National Health Insurance Fund(NHIF) with the intention of enabling the government to achieve its commitment to providing comprehensive Universal Health Care to all citizens,” Wetangula announced.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula making remarks during the joint State of the Nation address by President William Ruto on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
National Assembly
”In this regard, I have received and given okay to a request from the Cabinet Secretary of Health seeking to engage with all honourable members on matters relating to the implementation of the UHC program,” he added.
Wetangula further revealed that the session will also be in line with some of the questions that MPs have been raising on the floor of the house regarding SHA implementation.
”The Ministry of Health rolled out the program on October 1, this year, but the program has been having many challenges and indeed several members of this house voiced concerns from their electorate regarding some of the teething problems from the implementation of the program,” he added.
The SHA currently operating three funding models has been facing a lot of challenges, with the government revamping up efforts to ensure more Kenyans are enlisted onto the platform before the year ends.
The government has also in the past had a difficult time in addressing some of the teething challenges of SHA and convincing more Kenyans to register for the same.
SHA acting Chief Executive Officer Robert Ingasira on November 26 announced that patients will now be able to access primary health care at select Level Four facilities across the country, in part of the expansion plans to cover more Kenyans.
”We have since allowed select Level Four facilities as provided for in the Act to offer primary health services. This has eased the pressure that was on the ground,’’ Ingasira announced.
During the address, Health CS is expected to be put to task by the MPs on what steps the government is taking to immediately address the challenges with the health system.
Already, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) on November 30, threatened to go on strike in December if the government will not send home the entire board of Social Health Authority (SHA).
Health CS Deborah Barasa
Photo
Ministry of Health