PS Omollo rallies Kenyans to register with SHA

Interior PS Raymond Omollo has rallied Kenyans to register in large numbers for the Social Health Authority (SHA) to enable them to access affordable medication.

Omollo, alongside four other principal secretaries, called on Kenyans not to deny themselves the opportunities they would get when seeking medication by failing to register with the health insurance fund.

The Interior PS drummed up support for the SHA, saying that it is the medical programme through which Kenyans can acquire health services without straining for resources.

Omollo said SHA had enabled many vulnerable families to get medical care at a cost they would not have managed with their own funds.

“Kenyans have been convinced that SHA is working, and the negative noise we had at the early stage is no more. Let the remaining Kenyans who haven’t registered do so to get affordable healthcare,” Omollo said.

SHA took over from the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). The Kenya Kwanza administration introduced SHA and replaced NHIF.

The government argued that NHIF was helping only those who were employed and was not affordable.

Omollo argued that SHA has enabled many families to acquire medication at the lowest cost.

Speaking at Kendu Adventist Hospital in Gendia, Karachuonyo constituency, when the hospital marked 100 years of existence on Sunday, Omollo said Kenyans should not hesitate anymore to register for SHA.

Other PSs included Ouma Oluga (Medical Services), Mary Muthoni (Public Health), Boniface Makokha (Economic Planning), and Kipronoh Rono (Agriculture).

“I call upon Kenyans to turn up and register with SHA. Homa Bay is ranked number 13 in SHA registration by listing only 44 per cent of the expected population,” he said.

The PS urged county government officials and leaders to engage community health workers effectively in registering people for SHA.

“Health is a very important sector that touches everybody. My appeal goes to county officials and other leaders to work effectively with the community health volunteers in registering citizens for SHA,” Omollo said.

Oluga said the government had set aside more than Sh20 billion for funding SHA. He said this cushions Kenyans from paying heavily to settle medical bills.

He termed people who had not registered for SHA as those who were denying themselves medication.

“The government has pumped billions into supporting medication through SHA. Let’s register so that we can get better medical care,” Oluga said.

He urged the management of hospitals to improve their services to enhance patient satisfaction.

He said they do not want a situation where patients visit health facilities and fail to get medical care.

“The government is supporting universal healthcare to help the people,” he said.

The comments were echoed by the other principal secretaries.

Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga, Woman Representative Joyce Osogo, Karachuonyo MP Adipo Okuome, and his Uriri counterpart Mark Nyamita urged residents to support government projects.

“The programmes that the government has rolled out, not only in Homa Bay but across Kenya, are meant to help us. Let’s support them to achieve their objectives of developing Kenyans,” they said.