Elderly and Pregnant Women Call for Free SHA Cover

By Halima Charo

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

A section of Kwale County residents say they have started to benefit Four years from reforms in the healthcare services through the Social Health Authority four years of President William Ruto’s rule.

The new health dispensation came to life in October 2024 replacing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) as part of the government’s efforts to expand access to healthcare and improve the financing of medical services.

Kwale resident Timi Abdallah Sarai says Kenyans should register with the new system to enable them to access services whenever they visit health facilities.

“When you go to hospital, they check your phone number to confirm whether you are registered under SHA. We thank the President for introducing the SHA programme because it is helping us,” he said.

Mwanakumbo Bakari Koja says she has used SHA to access treatment several times without experiencing major challenges.

“There is no problem with SHA. When we get to hospital, we receive treatment as usual. If you are sick, you are attended to, and if you are a pregnant woman, you also receive services. SHA is helping us,” she said.

Koja urged residents who have not yet registered to do so in order to benefit from the healthcare services offered under the system.

“The most important thing is to have SHA. Once you are registered, there is no problem because you receive treatment. Since we registered, we have seen that it is helping us and we are doing well,” she added.

However, residents are calling for further improvements to the system, including free SHA services for people aged 70 and above as well as pregnant women.

Said Bakari Nzenze says the move would benefit elderly people who have no regular income and cannot afford to make SHA contributions.

“I am asking the President, wherever he is, to exempt elderly people aged 70 and 80 from paying for SHA. We will be very grateful because SHA has done a lot for us. We are also asking for support for pregnant women,” she said.

Speaking about the system, President William Ruto said registering citizens would help the government understand the healthcare needs of different areas and plan for medicine, medical personnel and treatment equipment using accurate data.

“We want to know how many citizens are in a particular area, how much medicine they require, how many doctors they need and how much treatment equipment is necessary, so that we can plan healthcare delivery on the basis of science and information,” the President said.

For these Kwale residents, SHA has changed the way they access medical services. They are, however, calling for further reforms to ensure that the elderly, pregnant women and financially vulnerable citizens are not left without essential healthcare.