Former nominated senator Millicent Omanga has called on the government to consider issues raised by Kenyans concerning the effectiveness of the newly implemented Social Health Authority (SHA).
Taking to her official X account on Friday, January 31, 2025, Omanga said that the Ministry of Health should use the feedback from Kenyans to improve SHA for better service delivery.
She further stated that the government should not ignore the fact that the implementation of the program has faced challenges adding that the system should be improved so that Kenyans can get value for their money.
“The voices of Kenyans on the effectiveness of SHA should be taken seriously, and their feedback used to improve the system for better service delivery.
“That’s how I see it. We should not bury our heads in the sand when it’s crystal clear that the implementation of the program has faced a myriad of challenges, and Kenyans are not getting value for their money,” Omanga said.
SHA implementation
Omanga’s concerns echo those of Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya who proposed the scrap of SHA and revert to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), citing concerns over the scheme’s effectiveness.
Speaking in Naivasha on Thursday, January 30, 2024, Salasya raised questions about the implementation of SHA, questioning whether there had been adequate public participation in its launch.
According to him, it seems that the program only benefits public hospitals, which are already overwhelmed and unable to support the growing demand for healthcare services.
“No 1, was there public participation? Because it seems to me there was no participation even with private hospitals because it seems it only supports public hospitals and there are not enough public hospitals and facilities to support the program,” Salasya noted.
Since its implementation, the scheme for a long time has drawn attention to the government’s approach to healthcare, with many questioning whether SHA can truly meet the needs of Kenyans or whether reverting to NHIF would be a more sustainable option.
Leave a Reply