Why SHA has succeeded in Embu County

For Milka Njoki Ndung’u, a dialysis patient of five years, SHA was not just a policy change. It was her rescue plan.

Njoki has been walking in Embu Level Five Hospital for dialysis services for almost five years now. She left her daily jobs when she was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2021. She decided to focus on her health which is very costly by attending dialysis clinics twice a week.In each session, Njoki is supposed to pay KSh10,650 and she says the new health policy which brought in SHA is a game changer for her life. “The shift from NHIF to SHA was smooth, and the services are good. I don’t work, but SHA has made it possible for me to continue treatment without stress. It has really helped me.Where could I get KSh10,650 to pay for my dialysis services when  I am attending twice per week ? ,"she asked.

Her story is echoed by Jane Wangari Wainaina, also undergoing dialysis at the same hospital.Wangari stated that under the NHIF, a session for dialysis services costed them KSh9,500 but now it has increased it to Sh 10,650 ,and three sessions per week from two sessions offered under NHIF saying it a big consideration for them as patients. “Dialysis is a lifelong journey. And SHA has lifted a huge burden off our shoulders. We no longer worry about skipping sessions due to costs. The support is consistent and reliable, ”she observed.

For these patients, the transformation has not been in policy papers or promises.  It is in the ability to show up for treatment and walk out without sinking into debt. These are the silent victories of SHA.

The maternity ward at Embu Level Five Hospital tells a similar story. Purity Wambua, who delivered her baby there, beams with gratitude.When MWINGI TIMES visited her in her maternity ward ,she narrated how she walked in the hospital on Saturday to deliver and got an instant registration to SHA. “My bill was over KSh10,000. SHA covered it all. I registered instantly at the hospital and didn’t have to worry about anything except my child’s safe delivery”, she stated.

Such experiences are bringing new faith in the public health system. And according to Dr. Bancy Wawira, CEO of Embu Level Five Hospital, it’s not just about free services.  It’s about structure. “We are now receiving referrals from Level 2, 3, and 4 facilities with advanced imaging already done MRIs, X-rays all covered under SHA,” she says. 

Wawira said that in order to enhance registration, they have already put registration desks to Embu Level Five Hospital .“Admitted patients are fully supported. This is easing pressure on families and streamlining service delivery,”she said.

County Executive Committee Member for Health, Jamal Runyenje, says the county is firing on all cylinders. The new SHA health policy has changed and improved service delivery to locals in all the county hospitals. “We have already received ultrasound and X-ray machines, and we’re expecting CT scan and MRI equipment soon all to be covered under SHA for both inpatients and outpatients,” notes the Health CECM.

One of the most striking wins is the pharmacy refill rate now at 82%.He said that from the claims they get from SHA, they are able to stock hospitals with drugs for patients.“That means patients can actually get the drugs they’re prescribed, KEMSA has been paid, and 84 out of our 104 facilities have submitted SHA claims worth KSh 232 million. We’re onboarding the rest very soon.”Jamal explained.

Runyenje also addressed the longstanding headache of broken equipment stating that the machine suppliers maintain the machines. “We are fortunate that vendors now handle machine maintenance and consumables. Services don’t stall. Plus, we have trained our personnel to operate all diagnostic machines,” he explained.

The SHA programme, once demonized by critics as confusing and unsustainable, is now drawing praise  not from politicians, but from the people it serves. From mothers in maternity wards to chronically ill patients, Embu residents are experiencing healthcare as a right, not a privilege.