The Council of Governors (CoG) has defended the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the new health financing system has helped channel billions of shillings to county hospitals and primary healthcare facilities.CoG chairperson Governor Ahmed Mohammed said counties had recorded significant gains in the health sector over the past four years, attributing the progress to closer collaboration between the national and county governments.“Today, our emphasis is on what we can achieve for Kenyans in the health sector through coordinated intergovernmental implementation and improved patient outcomes,” said Mohammed.

Speaking during Health Summit,  the Governor said Community Health Promoters have improved primary healthcare across the country.The Governor noted that 107,800 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) had been employed under a 50, 50 cost-sharing model between the national and county governments, expanding access to services at the primary healthcare level.Mohammed said counties had also received Sh46 billion through SHA, with Sh34.2 billion paid to county hospitals for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and Sh14.2 billion reimbursed to primary care facilities.He said 32.2 million Kenyans had registered under SHA, compared with seven million under the former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).Counties had also strengthened emergency response and expanded their capacity to manage critical patients through specialised equipment supplied under the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP), he said.“We have blood chemistry equipment in the most peripheral facilities,” Mohammed said, adding that 42,000 pieces of equipment had been distributed to Level Two and Three hospitals across the counties.He said the Health Summit was an opportunity to consolidate the gains made in the health sector, take stock of the reforms and identify areas requiring further action.Mohammed, however, acknowledged persistent challenges, including workforce shortages and industrial action by health workers.“Together, we shall work to solve those. County governments reaffirm working together to address the gaps,” he said.He also cautioned against calls to scrap SHA, saying the scheme was already providing funding to hospitals, including facilities in peripheral areas.“I have heard politicians say the first thing they will do if they get into office is to scrap SHA. One politician said, ‘On day one, I’ll scrap SHA,’” he said.Mohammed said the focus should instead be on fixing challenges within the system and ensuring that funds reaching health facilities are used to improve patient care.“The challenge we have as governors is to control the use of the money, things that should help patient care,” he said.He urged stakeholders to build on reforms that have worked, scale up innovations and ensure that changes in the health system translate into better services for patients.“Let’s build on what has worked, scale innovations and ensure reforms impact where it matters,” he said.