NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi County official Geoffrey Mosiria has criticised the Social Health Authority (SHA) over what he described as failures in providing outpatient services at Level 5 and Level 6 health facilities.
Mosiria, in a statement addressed to President William Ruto, claimed that patients seeking outpatient care at the two levels are being asked to pay for services despite being covered by SHA.
He also raised concerns over patients referred from Level 4 facilities to Level 5 hospitals, saying some were allegedly not receiving services as expected under SHA.
“SHA is not working for outpatient services in Level 5 and Level 6 health facilities,” Mosiria said.
Mosiria Questions SHA Implementation
Mosiria said health insurance should ensure that patients can access treatment when they fall sick and cannot afford to pay out of pocket.
He urged President Ruto to establish why some patients were allegedly being required to make payments for outpatient services despite having SHA cover.
“Mr President, if I don’t tell you the truth, nobody will tell you that SHA is not working for outpatient services in Level 5 and Level 6 facilities,” he said.
Mosiria suggested that the problems could be linked to failures in implementation, asking the President to investigate whether the system was being undermined or poorly managed.
Referral Patients Also Raised Concern
According to Mosiria, the challenges also affect patients referred from Level 4 facilities to higher-level hospitals.
He said some patients with SHA cover were allegedly not receiving the services they expected after being referred to Level 5 facilities.
The claims come amid ongoing efforts by the government and county health authorities to address challenges surrounding SHA contracting and service delivery in public hospitals.
Mosiria Links Health Services To Public Sentiment
Mosiria also referred to President Ruto’s remarks at a health insurance forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where he said systems had been put in place to ensure SHA covers patients.
He argued that patients’ experiences at health facilities could influence how they view the government.
“They will sing ‘Wantam,’ and the reason why Kenyans sing ‘Wantam’ is because they interact with health services and SHA every day,” Mosiria said.
He maintained that his criticism was not politically motivated but was based on what he said Kenyans were experiencing in health facilities.
“This is not politics. This is what Kenyans are experiencing on the ground,” he said.
Mosiria Urges Ruto To Fix SHA
Mosiria called on the President to intervene and ensure that SHA delivers the healthcare coverage Kenyans were promised.
“Please fix SHA and ensure that what you promised Kenyans is what they receive in our health facilities,” he said.
His remarks come as the government continues to implement the SHA system and work with county governments and health facilities to address contracting, claims processing and service delivery challenges.
