Kilifi residents blame SHA system outages for delayed emergency treatment

Kilifi residents blame SHA system outages for delayed emergency treatment - Residents during the County Mashinani Forum in Magarinu, Kilifi County. Residents say SHA system failures are delaying emergency treatment. (Photo: Courtesy)

A resident of Magarini, Sharon Baya, said some patients had died while waiting for the system to resume operations.

Residents of Magarini Sub-County in Kilifi have accused public hospitals of delaying treatment for critically ill patients whenever the Social Health Authority (SHA) system goes offline, raising concerns over the impact of digital health insurance failures on access to emergency care.

During a County Mashinani forum at Marafa grounds, residents claimed that patients had been turned away from health facilities because medical staff could not verify their SHA cover, even when they needed urgent attention.

A resident of Magarini, Sharon Baya, said some patients had died while waiting for the system to resume operations.

“I would like to talk about SHA, and we appreciate it, but many times patients go to the hospitals and are told the systems are down. Some patients in critical conditions and in need of emergency services die while waiting for the system to work. Let us do away with that system, or we will continue losing our people,” she said.

Kilifi Chief Officer for Health Services David Mulewa acknowledged that system outages were affecting service delivery, saying the problem was controlled by the national government.

He said county health facilities had been advised to attend to emergency cases and seek reimbursement once the system was restored.

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“We have got something we call system downtime, which is also affecting us because it is controlled from Nairobi, but we have sensitised our health practitioners that they should offer services, especially for emergency services, then claim later,” he said.

Residents during the County Mashinani Forum in Magarinu, Kilifi County. Residents say SHA system failures are delaying emergency treatment. (Photo: Courtesy)

Mulewa added that patients with chronic illnesses and those requiring emergency treatment could be assisted through the county's chronic disease and emergencies fund.

He, however, urged patients to carry their national identity cards when seeking treatment.

The forum also heard concerns over the welfare of Community Health Promoters (CHPs), with county officials announcing that they would begin receiving salaries through the county payroll.

County Secretary and Finance Executive Committee Member Phillip Charo said the administration had been working to formalise their employment.

“CHPs are people who have not been put on the payroll officially, but our department has been working on it, and this is the first month that they will receive salaries like all other county employees,” he said.

The forum was organised by the county government to allow residents to raise concerns about service delivery and other local issues.

The complaints prompted Governor Gideon Mung’aro to direct the county health department to ensure that emergency patients receive treatment regardless of whether the SHA system is operational.

“I am directing my senior health officials to write to all doctors and health practitioners working in Kilifi hospitals that all emergency services should be offered whether SHA is working or not. We will claim later,” he said.