While moving from one juggernaut to the other is expected to be painful and bumpy, the manner in which the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) has been launched is the clearest warning yet that the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) could bear little or no fruit in terms of service delivery.
It is unacceptable that the government can midwife a key service for more than a year and then shock the nation with a jerk after running a pilot in 15 countries. Reports across the country that the October 1 rollout of the SHIF programme was painful and disappointing points to a service provider that was yet to get the fundamentals of health programmes right.
Speaking to The Standard on October 1 in Nakuru, George Waiyaki was taken aback that he could not continue using his NHIF card during the transition period. He told the daily: “I thought I could still use my NHIF while transitioning to SHA, but I found out today at Langa Langa Hospital that it’s no longer working.”
While the pilot period could have been enough to deal with the teething problems, a transition should not mean cutting the flow instantly. It was prudent and mandatory that the two programmes run side by side for some months, especially considering that the new baby sits on a Sh104 billion digital system.
Without a doubt, it is not too early for the government to consider registering people for SHIF while accepting NHIF cards until the new plan becomes stable. It is unimaginable that anyone should be sent away without treatment because they can’t pay upfront while their outgoing insurance cover is up to date on premiums.
Worse, those coming for more critical and life-threatening procedures such as cancer regulars and screening have been stopped at the triage because they have not registered for a not-so-urgent programme that could even take a year to stand alone.
Davji Atellah, the secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), hit the nail on the head, saying that the rollout was rushed and that the government missed the “aspect of service delivery”.
According to the government, the dawning programme is pregnant with more benefits. However, the transition nightmare tells a different story and the Health ministry should treat the situation as an emergency to salvage the situation and save lives.
Flawlessness is the hallmark of excellence. Indeed, NHIF and SHIF should be treated as Siamese twins for about a half year if the changeover were not to be a life-saving surgery.
editor@aplain.co.ke
