SHA Funding Revives Nairobi's Clinics as Revenue Increases: "Funds Are Sent Monthly"
- Nairobi county health officials narrated how the Social Health Authority is revolutionising the health sector in the county
- They explained why SHA is much better than the National Health Insurance Health Fund (NHIF)
- Health CECM Suzanne Silantoi shared how using SHA reimbursements is revamping the primary healthcare system in the county
Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi - A silent revolution is unfolding in Nairobi’s health sector, thanks to the Social Health Authority (SHA) program, which is now active in the county’s Level 2, 3, and 4 hospitals.
Source: Original
Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration is delighted that SHA funding is transforming Nairobi's health facilities.
The officials stated that the fund is restoring dignity to patient care through infrastructure upgrades and consistent, quality services.
How is SHA helping Nairobi county?
Under Sakaja and his Health County Executive Committee Member, Suzanne Silantoi, Nairobi County is using SHA reimbursements to revamp primary healthcare, offering free, quality medical services to thousands monthly.
George Gatama leads this effort as the Subcounty Medical Officer of Health in Embakasi South Subcounty.
He oversees four critical facilities: Mukuru Health Centre, Njenga Level 4 Hospital, Kware Dispensary, and Tueben Health Centre.
How is SHA changing the healthcare system?
Talking to TUKO.co.ke, Gatama said the transformation driven by President William Ruto's ambitious health programme has been nothing short of remarkable.
He stated that Kware Dispensary is the top-performing facility in the county in terms of SHA collection, which he attributed to the proactive clinical team at the facility.
“Kware Dispensary is currently the top-performing facility in Nairobi in terms of SHA revenue collection This success is largely due to our proactive clinical team, who have conducted consistent community outreach every Saturday over the last quarter," Gatama said.
During the medical camp on Friday, August 1, residents received free medical services including general consultations, immunisations, family planning, dermatology, X-rays, and eye check-ups.
Gatama stated that during medical camps, patients are also registered on SHA and treated, with the facilities later submitting the reimbursement claims directly to the Authority.
“On June 2 and 3 alone, we held a major outreach that reached hundreds. SHA enables us to treat people for free, then submit claims, and within a month, the funds are wired directly into the facility accounts,” he stated.
According to Gatama, the model has enabled facilities to solve long-standing problems: drugs are now consistently stocked.
He explained that SHA has been disbursing funds on a monthly basis, unlike the former National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which he said used to reimburse hospitals twice a year.
“Unlike NHIF, which used to reimburse only twice a year, SHA sends funds monthly. This has empowered us to renovate our clinics, purchase pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals, and even improve infrastructure,” Gatama added.
How much has SHA reimbursed Nairobi hospitals?
Mukuru Health Centre has acquired 40 new chairs and is undergoing renovations.
Despite operating from only two container units, Kware Dispensary has experienced significant patient growth due to Pipeline Ward's high population density.
Kware Dispensary and Njenga Health Facility received KSh 1.1 million and KSh 1.2 million from SHA claims, respectively, prompting plans to upgrade Njenga to a Level 4 hospital.
Source: Twitter
Silantoi commended SHA's bottom-up impact, highlighting the implementation of basic privacy partitions in numerous facilities.
“We’re seeing change from the ground up. Wards are being partitioned, patient dignity is being restored, and clinics are finally able to grow sustainably. We’ve set a standard now that other facilities are benchmarking with us," Silantoi told TUKO.co.ke.
Sakaja stated that his administration has guided caregivers to speed up SHA registration across the county, adding that SHA is revolutionising healthcare delivery in Nairobi.
The City Hall boss pointed out that SHA is not just improving access but also transforming healthcare financing, which he said has enabled facilities to attend to up to 1,000 patients in a day.
What's the role of the SHA benefits panel?
In related news, the Ministry of Health established a Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel and Secretariat to review SHA benefits after outcry from Kenyans.
The panel was inaugurated on Monday, May 26, by Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale.
Speaking at the event, the Health CS disclosed that the panel's main objective will be to offer expert advice to the ministry on sustainable benefits to SHA members.
He stated that the Kenya Kwanza administration is determined to see Kenyans benefit from the new healthcare scheme.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
