Kenyans using the Social Health Authority (SHA) services to seek treatment in private hospitals will now be able to resume doing so after the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) called off its boycott of SHA services.
This follows President William Ruto's directive on Wednesday, instructing SHA to begin settling the arrears owed to health facilities by the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
In a press statement issued on Thursday by the chairperson of RUPHA Brian Lishenga, the association announced that it was suspending its earlier calls for boycotts issued on February 20 immediately.
''The Executive Committee of the Rural & Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) acknowledges the progress made following our collective action, which has resulted in H.E. President William Samoei Ruto's directive to begin settling NHIF arrears and establish a verification process for larger claims,'' read by part of a statement by Lishenga.
"We recognise that this directive does not fully resolve all concerns but represents a critical first step in addressing the financial distress facing healthcare facilities. After extensive deliberations, we have reached a decision to call off the boycott of SHA services, effective immediately, while closely monitoring the government’s actions to ensure full implementation of its commitments," it added.
However, RUPHA warned that the suspension of services under Medical Administrator Kenya Limited (MAKL) would persist due to MAKL’s failure to address the concerns raised by healthcare providers.
The association defended its decision not to suspend services under MAKL, stating that it has not conducted any reconciliation of existing debt owed to providers, meaning hospitals could not track what is due or outstanding.
The decision follows President Ruto’s directive for the immediate payment of all NHIF claims below KSh10 million, a move expected to benefit 88 per cent of affected healthcare providers, totalling 2,986 facilities.
Additionally, the association has warned that if the payments are not made promptly, it will reassess its position and embark on another boycott.
"If payments for facilities owed under KSh10 million are not made promptly, RUPHA will immediately reassess our position and reconvene members to deliberate on the next steps, including the possibility of reinstating service suspension," the association warned.
"If facilities owed over KSh10 million do not receive at least KSh10 million in upfront payments, we will escalate our engagement with Parliament to ensure that budgetary allocations are structured fairly."
According to RUPHA, the directive provides much-needed relief, ensuring that the majority of its members, particularly Level 2, 3, and 4 hospitals, can regain financial stability and continue operations.
Meanwhile, it confirmed that it has formally requested the government to ensure that private facilities receive a flat reimbursement of KSh10 million upfront to ease financial strain while awaiting verification.
