Elite hospitals now open to Kenyans under SHA - Duale

Kenyans who once viewed private referral hospitals as the preserve of the wealthy can now access specialised care at no extra cost under the Social Health Authority, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said.

Speaking during a National Assembly Members’ Legislative Retreat in Naivasha on Wednesday, Duale said the government has entered into strategic partnerships with leading private and international healthcare providers to dismantle long-standing class barriers in access to quality healthcare.

“We are demolishing the walls between ‘rich man’s hospitals’ and ‘poor man’s hospitals’. Under SHA, every Kenyan has a seat at the table of quality healthcare,” Duale told MPs.

Among the key partnerships announced is an agreement with global pharmaceutical firm Roche, under which SHA will fully cover the cost of Herceptin, a life-saving drug used in the treatment of breast cancer.

“This partnership is a game-changer for our mothers and sisters battling breast cancer,” Duale said.

“Previously, the cost of this drug was prohibitive, forcing families to hold fundraisers or forego treatment. Now, under SHA, it is accessible at zero additional cost to the patient.”

The Cabinet Secretary also confirmed a formal collaboration with Aga Khan University Hospital that allows SHA beneficiaries to access specialised services, including kidney transplants, without out-of-pocket payments.

“This partnership allows SHA beneficiaries to access specialised services such as kidney transplants at this premier institution at zero additional cost,” he said, adding that the agreement includes a strong training component aimed at transferring world-class skills to doctors and nurses in county referral hospitals.

Duale also announced that The Nairobi Hospital, the long regarded as one of the country’s most exclusive private facilities has been empanelled under SHA.

“For the first time, the doors of Nairobi Hospital are open to Kenyans using their SHA cards,” he said.

Duale said the partnerships as a deliberate policy choice to promote equity and ensure that access to high-quality healthcare is determined by need rather than income.

“Universal Health Coverage is about ensuring that the quality of care received by a President is the same quality available to a peasant,” he said.

The initiatives form part of broader reforms under the Social Health Insurance Act, which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund with the Social Health Authority.

According to the Ministry of Health, SHA has registered 29 million Kenyans and is positioning itself as the financial engine of the country’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.

“Under SHA, healthcare in Kenya will no longer be a privilege for the few. It is a right for all, and we are building the system to make that promise real,” Duale said.