Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has come out strongly against a section of the media over what he termed as misleading reports on the operations of the Social Health Authority (SHA), especially in relation to overseas treatment for patients.
Duale accused the media of spreading propaganda and using SHA beneficiaries, whom he described as valued and deserving of dignity, as tools to serve other interests.
He defended SHA, saying it operates under a new legal and procedural framework that prioritises patient dignity and the integrity of public health financing.
“Don’t use our valued SHA patients, whose dignity in accessing quality healthcare we protect, for propaganda,” said Duale.
“That is why we have presented the Quality Care and Patient Safety Bill to Parliament, to protect these reforms.”
The CS made it clear that SHA operates under a completely different structure from the now-defunct and fraud-ridden NHIF, noting that journalists ought to do proper research instead of peddling false comparisons.
He said the ministry is fully focused on delivering Universal Health Coverage under the Taifa Care programme.
Duale explained that SHA’s process for handling overseas treatment is guided by strict legal and regulatory frameworks, including the Social Health Insurance (SHI) Act, the Public Procurement Act, and circulars from the Office of the Attorney General.
For any overseas treatment to be approved, it must be shown that the required services are not available locally, and the patient must be fully compliant with contribution requirements under the SHI Act.
Only healthcare providers that are empanelled and formally contracted by SHA are eligible for payment, and overseas facilities must be accredited in their home countries, recognised in Kenya, and linked to local facilities for follow-up care.
The Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel is mandated to issue an annual list of health services that can be accessed abroad, though this list is yet to be gazetted.
While open tendering is the preferred procurement method, SHA plans to seek Treasury approval for a specially permitted procurement procedure in some cases.
This process will require documented justification, inclusion in the procurement plan, and full review by the relevant authorities.
Importantly, the Office of the Attorney General must be involved from the outset to the finalisation of all foreign contracts, including negotiation, drafting, and vetting. No contract is executed without final approval by the SHA Board.
Duale maintained that the government is steering health reforms through a transparent and accountable approach, and that efforts to derail this progress through sensational reporting will not succeed.
