CJ emeritus Maraga critisises govt over failure of SHA » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 21 – Former Chief Justice David Maraga has criticized the government over the failure of the Social Health Authority (SHA), warning that the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse due to non-payment of funds to hospitals.
In a statement issued on Friday, Maraga expressed concern over reports that the Rural Urban Private Hospitals Association is considering suspending medical services because the government has not reimbursed them for treatments provided to Kenyans under SHA emphasizing that the hospitals, which serve thousands of patients daily, rely on these funds to remain operational.
“I am deeply concerned at the news that the Rural Urban Private Hospitals Association intends to suspend healthcare services to Kenyans due to the failure of government to remit funds for their services,” Maraga stated.
The former Chief Justice condemned the government’s inability to honor its obligations, pointing out that Kenyans have consistently contributed to SHA and its predecessor, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), yet the institutions mandated to provide healthcare continue to struggle financially.
“The failure to remit refunds is unacceptable as the government-run Social Health Authority is responsible for these payments, and Kenyans have been paying into SHA (and before that into NHIF),” he added.
Maraga further emphasized that the situation was both wrong and morally unacceptable, stressing that failing to pay hospitals directly puts lives at risk, especially for patients who require urgent medical attention.
“It is wrong and morally unacceptable to subject Kenyans to suffering when they need hospital services and medicines. I imagine that some of these cases need urgent medical attention and cannot wait. Lives are at stake. The government must seriously address the crumbling of healthcare institutions,” he asserted.
He noted that the constitution guarantees every citizen the right to the highest attainable standard of health and urged immediate intervention to prevent the collapse of the country’s healthcare system.
“For far too long, providing access to healthcare services has been choked by poor policies and corrupt practices in government. We cannot be a people who make two steps forward and five steps backward because a few people have found a way to game the industry and enrich themselves,” Maraga said.
He further warned that without a functional healthcare system, Kenya’s progress would stall, as a sick population cannot drive national development. He called on the government to fix the systemic failures plaguing the SHA to achieve the universal healthcare goals enshrined in the Constitution.
“A country with a sick population cannot advance. We must ensure the best healthcare institutions if we are to realize the aspirations on universal healthcare in our Constitution,” he concluded.
The Social Health Authority program was introduced as a replacement for NHIF, and has been widely criticized for its inefficiencies and delays in disbursing funds.
Frustrated healthcare providers and citizens alike continue to demand accountability from the government to prevent further deterioration of medical services in the country.