SHIF Excludes Crucial Services - KMPDU's Mundia

SHIF Excludes Crucial Services – KMPDU’s Mundia

The deputy national chairperson of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has expressed concerns about the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which is set to take effect on October 1.

Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday, KMPDU’s deputy national chairperson Kahura Mundia stated that the country is not adequately prepared for the SHIF, citing health service providers who have not been fully onboarded.

The official also lamented that the SHIF has not yet provided dental services in its first year of operation, implying that there are no dental benefits.

“All Kenyans will have no dental benefits and I want to be on record that the Social Health Authority (SHA) does not envision providing dental services in its first year of operations,” he revealed.

“That means all Kenyans will have to procure a separate medical cover or a separate dental cover to provide for dental benefits. So the mouth has not been prioritised, I don’t know why.”

Dr Kahura Mundia: NHIF has been in the country for the last fifty years, and it took a lot of growth to reach where it did. Most Kenyans are not familiar with the new SHIF system. It’s not foreseeable that people will appreciate its services #CitizenDayBreak @AyubAbdikadir pic.twitter.com/428T1XJs5Y
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 25, 2024

He stated that the body contains many parts that require specialised care, and SHIF’s exclusion of some services will force Kenyans to pay additional fees.

“Dental care is very important because of the emergencies that are seen in that region. Cancers around the mouth will not be screened as well as infections happening in the mouth.”

The KMPDU official also observed that the issue of facility selection has yet to be addressed because patients have not chosen their preferred service providers.

“Good money is going to be spent publicising SHIF. The providers themselves, most of the public and private facilities have not been onboarded and the contracts are yet to be processed,” he explained.

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Kahura Mundia stated that Kenyans who have registered with SHIF have yet to receive a list of facilities to which they can gain access, despite the fact that the new Fund goes into effect on October 1.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, 1.9 million Kenyans have already registered for SHIF.

Similarly, he expressed concern that the Social Health Authority (SHA) had not released funds for the implementation of SHIF Kahura Mundia and warned that the high number of cases might overwhelm facilities.

“As we get into October, there is no money allocated to SHIF, there is no money allocated to the emergency funds and by the time is coming and the cases that happen per month or per day sometimes they are too many, unless they suggest they pay at the end of the quarter,” he stated.

SHIF Excludes Crucial Services – KMPDU’s Mundia