More pain for patients under SHA as private hospitals continue to demand cash payment for services

The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association (Rupha) says it is not backing down from its decision to deny services to patients who cannot pay cash despite their Social Health Authority (SHA) status.

The association's chairman, Dr Brian Lishenga, says the association will restore SHA services once the government clears the debts it owes, which run into billions of shillings.

Rupha's stand comes as the Social Health Authority met with other stakeholders in the healthcare provision sector to find a way out of the impending crisis.

Citizen TV visited a health facility in Juja, Kiambu County, where an expectant mother with an emergency was lucky to be served. She says she came to the facility, the nearest to her home, with a lot of apprehension.

"Nilikuwa nimesikia kwamba mambo ya SHA haiwork kwa private hospital as from yesterday ika ni inconvenience sasa juu mtu alikuwa amelipia na hana cash... kama haitafanya ita inconvenience watu wengi sana," said a patient, Rachael.

This is one of the private health facilities under Rupha that has heeded the association's call to stop treating non-emergency and critical cases unless the patients are willing to pay in cash. This declaration has affected patient flow at her facility and others like hers.

"We used to see around 70 outpatients in a day, sometimes they would go 60, 75. Yesterday was the worst; we saw 18 patients the whole day," said Dr Susan Ng'ng'a.

Rupha says the decision to cut off credit services to SHA still stands. The association, however, says patients are still allowed to visit the facilities, but services are pegged on their ability to pay out of pocket.

"No Kenyan is being turned away. This discussion between hospitals has been ongoing throughout the year," Dr Lishenga stated.

The statement comes as the association continued to demand that the government clear the Ksh.10.6 billion claims for services rendered last month, and the larger Ksh.76 billion debt stretching back to the NHIF days.

"We are still very much open to communication and talks with MOH, and I think that our demands are very reasonable. The immediate settlement with the NHIF arrears is in line with the March 5th directive by the president. Claims less than 10 million should have immediate settlement," Dr Lishenga added.

SHA met representatives from the Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) and the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals.

The meeting, chaired by the SHA chairman, resolved to work towards resolving systemic challenges that may plague universal health coverage under SHA, as well as find ways to combat graft within the healthcare system.

The meeting also sought to find ways of ensuring that public officers continue to get uninterrupted health services as SHA seeks finances to support this.

RUPHA announced on Sunday that beginning this week, private hospitals across the country would require cash payments from patients covered by the SHA.

The Association said the move was prompted by delayed and unsettled payments from SHA, which it said had made it unsustainable for hospitals to continue offering services on credit.

“Effective today, all healthcare services (unless otherwise stated) at this facility for Social Health Authority (SHA) beneficiaries will be provided on a cash basis,” the notice stated.