Ali Atemba Uwiyo, a resident of Maturu Sub-County in Kakamega County and former civil servant in Busia County, has praised the Social Health Authority, saying its reforms have proven more beneficial than the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Speaking in a media interview, Atemba said high medical costs had previously made it difficult for many residents to access healthcare and ambulance services.
He said some families were forced to sell land or livestock to raise money for medical treatment, with the available livestock sometimes proving insufficient to meet the costs.
Uwiyo said he personally benefited from SHA after developing an illness that required surgery. He said SHA covered a series of medical tests, including scans and X-rays, before settling KSh201,000 for his surgery.
“I had an ailment which required a surgical operation. First, there was screening: a panel of tests, an aortic scan, and X-rays. SHA paid for all of that. And I went for surgery, and SHA paid KSh201,000 for me. After the operation, I was in the hospital for one week; I was discharged, and I got home,” he narrated.
After the operation, Uwiyo said he spent one week in hospital before being discharged. He is currently recovering while overseeing activities on his sugarcane farm.
He said the healthcare support has also enabled him to meet medical expenses for his spouse and children while continuing with economic activities.
Uwiyo said he supports the continued improvement of SHA, noting that the scheme could expand access to healthcare and reduce the financial burden of medical treatment.
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“SHA is the way to go. I know initially there are still some problems here and there. But with time, it can be improved. Then that’s the way to go. I’m grateful to SHA. With SHA, I can meet my medical bills. I’m also able to meet my medical bills for my spouse and my children,” he said.
Kakamega Man Says Wife’s Life Was Saved
On his part, James Nyanje, a resident of Kakamega County, says SHA helped his family at a difficult time when his wife needed head surgery. He says they went to the Kakamega Referral Hospital, where she was operated on, and SHA covered the hospital bill of about KSh 336,000, leaving him with nothing to pay out of pocket.
James says his wife received treatment, recovered well, and is now healthy. For him, accessing medical care at a time when his wife needed surgery to remove a tumor in her head would have been difficult without health cover.
“I received assistance, and she underwent a head operation, and her entire bill was three hundred and sixty-six thousand shillings. As the husband, I did not pay anything. SHA paid all that money, and my wife received treatment,” Nyanje narrated.
James says that before SHA, seeking treatment was often difficult because patients could be asked to pay at times when they had no money. He appreciates the progress made so far, but hopes outpatient services can also be strengthened so that patients who do not need admission can still receive support without having to stay overnight in hospital.
Also Read: How Last-Minute SHA Registration Saved a Kisumu Matatu Driver After Accident
Kisa Central Residents Hope New Hospital Will End Long Struggle for Medical Care
In the neighbouring Khwisero Constituency, Reagan says Kisa Central residents are happy with the ongoing construction of Khwisero Mother and Child Hospital because it is a long-held dream. He says the facility gives them hope that medical services will now be closer to the people, reducing the struggle of traveling far to seek treatment.
Reagan expressed hope that services will be faster once the hospital is complete. According to him, completion would decongest other facilities, and patients would receive care more easily.
He says the hospital will also support growth beyond healthcare by bringing urbanization to the area. Doctors and other workers may need rental houses, businesses will grow around Ikolomani Market, and residents will benefit from new opportunities created by the facility.
Before this project, residents of Kisa Central struggled because they lacked a nearby Level 4 hospital. He says patients sometimes went to the hospital and found no medicine, or only one doctor serving many people, making treatment slow and difficult.
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