13/09/2026
Health is a fundamental human right which any government has an obligation to protect. At independence,the principle was to provide free health care to all citizens by the year 2000 Using the national health insurance fund ( NHIF).But this goal was not achievable given the expensive nature of health care such that in 1980s,Breton woods institutions came up with structural adjustment programs ( SAPs) which forced the government to abandon free health care.Cost sharing was introduced in public hospitals with the government still subsiding health care through NHIF.
NHIF had the usual problems of insufficient pooled funds and corruption. In 2017, the government undertook to make reforms in NHIF in an effort to provide universal health coverage (UHC).NHIF was replaced with Social health Authority (SHA) and SHIF ( social health insurance fund) in 2023.
Universal health coverage ( UHC) is provision of health care to all people when and where they are without suffering financial worry .The driving force of UHC is primary health care ( PHC) .Primary health care is funded by the govt through SHA and it's provided in all public health facilities,all the way from level 2 to level 7 free of charge ,the only condition is registration with SHA.
There are 8 elements of PHC and these elements are the most basic health services any hospital has to offer eg immunization,essential drugs supplies, nutrition,maternal and child health,water and sanitation,treatment of priority health conditions in the community,prevention and control of endemic diseases .All what you need to do is register for a national health insurance cover and you will be attended to.This is the practice world wide eg even if you go to Japan today and you fall sick,you will be asked to register with the national medical insurance cover and you will be treated.
Registration into SHA is 100% free BUT for continuity of care,SHA must remain active throughout the year via a payment of 300ksh per month for those who are very poor and vulnerable or a payment of 2.75% of a household income as determined by the mean testing system.
Patients are never turned away from the hospital once they come for healthcare.Its unethical to chase a sick person away from the hospital.The standard practice is treat first and then matters finance come second once they are stable to comprehend issues.There also exists a waiver system for the poor,the vulnerable,disabled ,the very sick and anyone who is unable to pay due to one reason or another. For those who are able to pay,there is an open door for them to pay readily.The Cardinal rule is everyone has a right to access health care as a fundamental human right.Health is a fundamental human right which any government has an obligation to protect. At independence,the principle was to provide free health care to all citizens by the year 2000 Using the national health insurance fund ( NHIF).But this goal was not achievable given the expensive nature of health care such that in 1980s,Breton woods institutions came up with structural adjustment programs ( SAPs) which forced the government to abandon free health care.Cost sharing was introduced in public hospitals with the government still subsiding health care through NHIF.
NHIF had the usual problems of insufficient pooled funds and corruption. In 2017, the government undertook to make reforms in NHIF in an effort to provide universal health coverage (UHC).NHIF was replaced with Social health Authority (SHA) and SHIF ( social health insurance fund) in 2023.
Universal health coverage ( UHC) is provision of health care to all people when and where they are without suffering financial worry .The driving force of UHC is primary health care ( PHC) .Primary health care is funded by the govt through SHA and it's provided in all public health facilities,all the way from level 2 to level 7 free of charge ,the only condition is registration with SHA.
There are 8 elements of PHC and these elements are the most basic health services any hospital has to offer eg immunization,essential drugs supplies, nutrition,maternal and child health,water and sanitation,treatment of priority health conditions in the community,prevention and control of endemic diseases .All what you need to do is register for a national health insurance cover and you will be attended to.This is the practice world wide eg even if you go to Japan today and you fall sick,you will be asked to register with the national medical insurance cover and you will be treated.
Registration into SHA is 100% free BUT for continuity of care,SHA must remain active throughout the year via a payment of 300ksh per month for those who are very poor and vulnerable or a payment of 2.75% of a household income as determined by the mean testing system.
Patients are never turned away from the hospital once they come for healthcare.Its unethical to chase a sick person away from the hospital.The standard practice is treat first and then matters finance come second once they are stable to comprehend issues.There also exists a waiver system for the poor,the vulnerable,disabled ,the very sick and anyone who is unable to pay due to one reason or another. For those who are able to pay,there is an open door for them to pay readily.The Cardinal rule is everyone has a right to access health care as a fundamental human right.
DR Kidalio James Ekiru
