Union: SHA exclusion threatens closure of clinics

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has warned that over 60 percent of private health facilities in the country face closure due to the new rules introduced by the Social Health Authority (SHA).

Terming the move to lock out clinicians from the list of service providers as draconian, the union has warned that the government’s plan for Universal health care will remain a  distant dream.

This follows a call by the union’s top officials for the disbandment of the SHA board, citing alleged graft and extortion from health practitioners.

According to Moses Matore, President of the Kenya Clinical Officers Association, private healthcare facilities run by Clinical Officers account for 60 percent of the private healthcare sector in the country.

He noted that by denying them empanelment, these facilities would be unable to offer services to patients seeking care through the SHA scheme.

“The ripple effect will be devastating, especially for poor and vulnerable populations and this is violates the right to health under the Constitution,” he said.

Speaking after a two-day consultative meeting in Naivasha, Matore noted that the closure of clinics had led to an influx of patients in higher-level hospitals, resulting in another health crisis.

“After health facilities run by clinical officers were shut out of the SHA system, services at higher-level public hospitals became overstretched, leading to longer waiting times, poor quality of care, complications, and unnecessary deaths,” he said.

Matore further said the illegal and corrupt exclusion of clinical officers from pre-authorization would cripple healthcare delivery in rural and underserved areas.

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) national chairman Peterson Wachira urged the CS for Health to intervene and ensure that the law was followed.