The public sector unions have threatened to stage demonstrations in the next fourteen days if the government fails to heed their demands, especially in addressing the challenges reported by Kenyans and various stakeholders on the Social Health Authority (SHA) rollout.
The public unions led by Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Attelah in a statement faulted the government for failing to resolve the crisis that hampered access to healthcare.
Attelah disclosed that despite repeated warnings and feedback from Kenyans, the transition from NHIF to SHA had led to significant challenges for civil servants, public sector workers and the wider public.
According to Attelah, the decision by the government to implement SHA hurriedly slowed the access to healthcare services previously accessible to National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF)card holders with no clear communication on what SHA would offer.
“SHA is deducting more from workers' salaries, but providing less. This is unacceptable, as workers are paying more for substandard services, threatening their well-being,” Attelah claimed. With the rising cost of living, SHA is adding an unnecessary financial strain on families.
The union leaders further claimed that the transition from NHIF to SHA threatened the jobs of those employed under the old health insurance scheme thus creating additional uncertainty.
In their demand letter to the Ministry of Health, the union leaders called on the government to assure public servants that they would continue receiving healthcare coverage under the new health insurance scheme. The leaders also called on the government to engage the unions to review SHA's shortcomings and to find fair solutions for Kenyans.
"We also demand a 100 per cent transition of previously employed NHIF employees with full benefits. If these concerns are not addressed within 14 days, public sector unions will have no choice but to proceed with industrial action," read part of the statement.
The strike notice comes against the backdrop of public uproar following the rollout of the Social Health Authority with most Kenyans reportedly facing challenges in accessing healthcare services. Some Kenyans claimed they were forced to make out-of-pocket payments to access treatment.
Similarly, some private healthcare facilities have threatened not to subscribe to the new health insurance scheme after the government failed to pay multi-billion debts it owed private entities.
Meanwhile, in a recent statement to the press, Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa clarified that no Kenyan would be stopped from accessing free health services as the rollout took effect.
“No hospital or health facility will deny you service during this transition. We have already communicated that services must continue uninterrupted ahead of the implementation of this progressive scheme,” Barasa told Kenyans.
Additionally, Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai while responding to concerns about the sudden mass migration of Kenyans from NHIF to SHA, clarified that the shift was done within the law as stipulated in the legal notice 147 of 2024.
