Uasin gishu county: Residents of Uasin Gishu County have been encouraged to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA), with the Director of Race Course Hospital, Teresa Bonareri Orwenyo, stating that the new health financing scheme is effectively enhancing access to quality and affordable healthcare.
According to Kenya News Agency, Orwenyo, a retired nurse, emphasized that the Social Health Authority has transformed Kenya’s healthcare financing by facilitating direct payments to accredited health facilities. This change enables hospitals to settle patient claims and invest in improved healthcare services. Speaking in an interview, Orwenyo highlighted that SHA is more efficient and accessible, allowing patients to register and access services immediately.
Orwenyo urged Kenyans to embrace and register with the SHA, noting its efficiency in registration and immediate service access, in contrast to the previous NHIF. She described SHA as a pathway to a healthy society and a prosperous Kenya. The new healthcare financing system’s structure, with specialized funds, has expanded access to various levels of medical care.
She explained that the Primary Healthcare Fund supports basic services and clinic visits, while the Social Health Insurance Fund covers inpatient and outpatient services. Meanwhile, the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund provides a safety net for patients needing specialized and costly treatments.
The impact of the SHA scheme is already evident at Race Course Hospital, a Level 5 private health facility in Uasin Gishu County. Payments received through SHA have enabled the hospital to upgrade its medical equipment and enhance its capacity to offer specialized services. The hospital has acquired advanced diagnostic equipment, such as a CT scan machine and improved X-ray services, allowing patients to access essential diagnostic procedures on-site.
Orwenyo stated that the investment in modern medical equipment has improved the hospital’s ability to provide high-quality care and enhance patient outcomes. The facility offers secondary referral care, specialized inpatient treatment, advanced surgical procedures, and diagnostic services under the SHA secondary and tertiary healthcare framework.
Orwenyo welcomed Kenyans seeking medical services covered under the new health insurance program to their facility. The hospital provides a wide range of services, including outpatient and inpatient care, specialized treatment, ICU services, surgical procedures, dialysis, and infertility treatment.
She expressed confidence that the continued implementation of the Social Health Authority would alleviate the financial burden of healthcare on Kenyan families while strengthening health facilities through a reliable system of claims processing and reimbursement. Orwenyo urged more Kenyans, especially those yet to enroll, to register with SHA and benefit from the available healthcare services through accredited facilities.
Increased enrollment, she said, would be crucial in supporting the government’s efforts towards achieving universal health coverage and ensuring more Kenyans can access essential, specialized, and emergency medical services without facing catastrophic financial hardships. The Race Course Hospital director maintained that, based on the facility’s experience, SHA has demonstrated its potential to transform healthcare delivery by linking patient access to sustainable financing for health institutions.
