The Kenya Renal Association has called on the Social Health Authority (SHA) to make clear and consistent guidelines for both patients and dialysis service providers.
The association chairperson Jonathan Wala in a statement on Thursday said such a move will ensure uninterrupted and reliable service delivery.
Wala also urged the Authority to sign formal contracts with dialysis service providers without further delay.
In the interim, he said there ought to be temporary contracts with dialysis service providers to provide legal assurance to all parties involved, including the patients.
He also called for the implementation of the previous recommendations offered to improve kidney health coverage in the country.
“This includes extending dialysis cover to three sessions per week, expanding transplant services, implementing peritoneal dialysis coverage, ensuring adequate vascular access, and enacting a comprehensive kidney disease prevention program,” Wala said.
The chairperson further stated that the huge pending NHIF debt owed to healthcare providers should be expeditiously settled to enable them to continue the provision of this critical service.
He said the now-defunct NHIF owes dialysis service providers more than Sh10 billion and no formal mechanism has been put in place to address it.
He added that with the roll-out of SHA, they had hoped for improvements in dialysis service delivery and the establishment of a clear and transparent framework for reimbursement.
Wali said despite them submitting several multiple recommendations to SHA to address critical gaps in kidney health services, the roll-out was “chaotic”.
He noted that the rollout has affected patients who are currently facing life-threatening uncertainty “due to the disorganised SHA rollout”.
“Many have been unable to register under SHA, forcing them into out-of-pocket payments. Non-citizens are excluded from registration, and new patients cannot access dialysis services,” he said.
“Patients needing to transfer between dialysis centres due to travel and other reasons face severe difficulties.”
Wala also decried lack of
formal contracts by the dialysis providers as dictated by SHA regulations
adding that the promised digital contract system has yet to be implemented,
leaving providers uncertain about their legal standing.
Comments 0
Sign in to join the conversation
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!