Govt Moves to Pay Medical Bills for Kenyans Stuck in Foreign Hospitals
The Kenyan government is set to assist Kenyans who are stranded in foreign hospitals due to unpaid medical bills. Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa revealed this on Friday, November 8, during the graduation ceremony for specialized nurses at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital. She emphasized that cases would be handled individually, with an option for affected individuals to reach out directly.
“Regarding the stranded patients, we are requesting that they reach out through the call center to the Social Health Authority (SHA), and each individual case will be addressed accordingly,” Barasa stated.
She added that the government is also crafting policies to make healthcare services more accessible at home and abroad, aligning with the SHA’s benefits package, which was rolled out in October. The SHA initiative, aimed at replacing the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), has faced challenges, with delayed fund disbursements contributing to the growing number of Kenyans unable to settle their hospital bills overseas.
Evans Majau, chair of the Caucus of Patient-Led Organizations of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), criticized SHA for not fully supporting patients abroad who rely on it for essential treatments. “We urge the ministry to restore the overseas treatment package for NCD patients. Many received essential treatments in India, Israel, and the UK, but now they’re left in limbo,” he said, emphasizing that the government should focus on covering both local and international medical bills for its citizens.
In response to criticism surrounding SHA’s implementation, CS Barasa reassured that most Kenyans are already benefitting, citing recent cases where surgeries costing up to Ksh900,000 were successfully covered under SHA. She blamed misinformation for low utilization of SHA services and announced plans for help desks across constituencies to assist Kenyans with registration.
As of now, 14 million Kenyans have registered with SHA, a testament to its growing reach despite the rollout challenges.
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Govt Moves to Pay Medical Bills for Kenyans Stuck in Foreign Hospitals
