Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale has come out strongly in defense of the Ministry of Health and the Social Health Authority (SHA), accusing Nation Media Group of allegedly misrepresenting the government’s ongoing healthcare reforms for political gain.
In a post shared on platform X, Duale criticized the media house for allegedly using SHA beneficiaries as tools in what he termed “propaganda serving other interests,” and called on journalists to “read and not be lazy.”
Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the dignity of patients under SHA, a new body established under the Social Health Insurance Act (SHI Act) to replace the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which he described as a “repelled old fraud insurance system.”
He noted that, unlike NHIF, SHA operates under strict legal frameworks to ensure transparency, quality care, and patient safety. These reforms are further backed by the recently introduced Quality Care and Patient Safety Bill, which is currently before Parliament.
The Cabinet Secretary also laid out detailed procedures regarding overseas medical treatment under SHA, highlighting the following key points:
- Contracted Facilities Only: SHA can only pay providers that are empaneled and have formal contracts.
- Overseas Treatment Criteria: The treatment must be unavailable in Kenya and provided by an SHA-contracted facility, with beneficiaries compliant with SHI Act contributions.
- International Standards: Foreign hospitals must be accredited in their country, recognized in Kenya, and linked to a local health facility for follow-up.
- Service List Pending: The Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel (BPTAP) will publish an annual list of services eligible for overseas treatment, a list yet to be gazetted.
- Procurement Protocols: While open tendering is the default, SHA may seek approval for a “Specially Permitted Procurement Procedure” from the National Treasury under defined conditions.
- Legal Oversight: The Office of the Attorney General must be involved in every stage of contract negotiation and vetting.
- Governance Approval: SHA’s board must approve all contracts before they are signed by the CEO.
Duale emphasized that these reforms form the foundation of Taifa Care, the government’s ambitious Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme, and reiterated that SHA is focused solely on delivering dignified, accessible healthcare to all Kenyans.
“We care for our patients’ dignity,” he stated. “This government is committed to ensuring that access to quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege.”
Written By Rodney Mbua
