Nairobi, March 7- The Ministry of Health has requested an additional Ksh.6 billion in the supplementary budget to strengthen the Social Health Authority (SHA), specifically targeting the primary healthcare fund and the emergency and chronic illness fund.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai, while appearing before the National Assembly’s Health Committee on Thursday, defended the ministry’s funding needs, emphasizing the importance of additional resources to support SHA operations.
Kimtai revealed that SHA benefits are being gradually revised based on available funds. A gazette notice has already been submitted to implement an increase in oncology benefits, raising the limit from Ksh.400,000 to Ksh.550,000.
“If you have paid your premiums and are receiving cancer treatment at level 4, 5, or 6 hospitals, your entitled benefit is now Ksh.550,000 instead of the previous Ksh.400,000,” he explained.
With 20.2 million Kenyans now registered under SHA, Kimtai stressed the urgency of allocating an extra Ksh.3 billion to enhance primary healthcare services, particularly at level 1, 2, and 3 hospitals where treatment remains free for all registered members.
“Primary healthcare is not limited to public facilities; it also extends to faith-based and private hospitals contracted under SHA. All these facilities are entitled to the funding,” he clarified.
During the session, Kimtai and other officials from semi-autonomous government agencies within the Ministry of Health faced scrutiny over challenges Kenyans are experiencing with the medical scheme.
Health Committee Vice Chair Patrick Munene raised concerns about the lack of transparency in SHA’s payment system, stating that providers struggle to track payments compared to the previous NHIF system.
“In NHIF, you could verify payments—Ksh.2 million for one patient, Ksh.200,000 for another—but with SHA, providers lack visibility, making it difficult to account for transactions,” Munene pointed out.
In response, SHA Acting CEO Robert Ngasira assured the committee that the ministry will publish payment details for healthcare providers, ensuring greater transparency on fund disbursement.
Kimtai also acknowledged ongoing efforts to resolve SHA’s operational challenges, noting that all benefit packages will be revised upwards depending on funding availability.
“If the emergency and chronic illness fund is exhausted, the ICCIF will step in to cover additional treatment costs,” he stated.
He further mentioned that the ministry is finalizing tariff adjustments to address public concerns, ensuring proper calculations align with incoming and outgoing funds.
Meanwhile, Treasury officials faced criticism from both lawmakers and ministry representatives over delays in disbursing approved funds to healthcare facilities, which has hindered service delivery.
