Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo has issued a firm warning to public hospitals against denying patients medical services due to challenges related to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) registration, as Kenya transitions from the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the new system.
During her first visit to Mombasa since taking office, Mulongo emphasized that patients, particularly those needing critical care for conditions like cancer and kidney disease, must be supported in accessing medical services.
At various health facilities in the coastal city, the CS encountered significant challenges in the SHIF rollout. She observed near-empty beds in critical-care units, including oncology departments, suggesting that many patients were avoiding hospitals due to concerns over their coverage under the new scheme.
Several cancer patients have reportedly had to pay out-of-pocket for their treatments after some hospitals stopped accepting NHIF cards, leaving many struggling to receive essential care. This has highlighted the urgency of fully implementing the SHIF system.
Speaking at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mulongo called on county governments to intensify efforts in registering more citizens under the new healthcare system. She stressed that counties, as frontline implementers of SHIF, must ensure that no patient is turned away because of registration issues.
“Let’s not send anyone home. Register everyone and let them access healthcare. County governments, you are the implementers. We are depending on you because it cannot be done from the national level,” Mulongo urged. “If you drop the ball, you will disappoint Kenyans. This is Universal Health Coverage, and it’s supposed to be a game-changer.”
She acknowledged that while employed citizens had started benefiting from SHIF, the transition must be inclusive to guarantee that all Kenyans, regardless of employment status, can access healthcare without disruption.
Mulongo praised the progress made in registering dialysis patients but called for a faster registration process to avoid gaps in patient care. “We are encouraging registration because we don’t want patients to be sent home. They need to receive care,” she said.
However, her remarks were met with mixed reactions from healthcare workers. Some staff at Coast General, speaking anonymously, cited frequent system downtimes as a significant barrier in the registration process, expressing concerns that this could undermine the smooth rollout of SHIF.
Despite these challenges, Coast General CEO Iqbal Kandwalla assured that no patient had been denied treatment. “We are not turning away any patients. The empty beds you’re seeing in the cancer center are likely because the patients have already been served and have left,” Kandwalla clarified.
