The Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, has announced that the government is taking steps to strengthen cancer care under the Social Health Authority (SHA), with a proposal to increase the oncology package to Ksh 1 million per patient.
Duale made the statement on November 6, while appearing before the National Assembly Plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to respond to questions on emerging health issues.
“We are committed to ensuring cancer patients receive comprehensive and uninterrupted care under SHA,” Duale told Parliament.
Duale on Expanded Cancer Care Under SHA
Duale stated that the current cancer benefit package under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) covers patients from diagnosis and staging through treatment and palliative care.
The existing cover amounts to Ksh 550,000, funded by Ksh 400,000 from SHIF and Ksh 150,000 from the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF).
To improve access and ease the financial burden on patients, SHA has requested that the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel (BPTAP) raise the oncology limit to Ksh 1 million per beneficiary.
“We have asked BPTAP to review the cancer package to Ksh 1 million so that no patient is denied care because of financial limits,” Duale said.
CS Duale confirmed that 33,101 patients have accessed cancer care through SHA, with Ksh 5.8 billion already paid in claims and Ksh 774.6 million awaiting processing. Currently, 140 hospitals are contracted to deliver comprehensive cancer services.
He added that limits on treatment cycles have been removed within the annual cap to ensure fairness and flexibility for patients undergoing long-term care.
Ongoing Health Reforms and Labour Disputes
Addressing questions on labour unrest in the health sector, Duale said the Ministry engaged the Kiambu County Government over the doctors’ strike and encouraged a swift resolution.
Also Read: Duale Cornered in an Explosive and Ugly Exchange
A National Return-to-Work Framework (RTWF) has since been signed, restoring normal operations in all counties, including Kiambu.
“We encouraged a swift and good-faith resolution,” he said, adding that a National Return-to-Work Framework (RTWF) has been signed, restoring industrial harmony.
Duale also assured that the government is committed to clearing pending bills owed to hospitals under the defunct NHIF scheme.
He said the first repayment of Ksh 5.3 billion will prioritise facilities owed between Ksh 1 million and Ksh 10 million.
Progress in Universal Health Coverage and Disease Control
The health CS told Parliament that over 1.8 million informal sector workers have registered for SHA’s Taifa Care through the flexible Lipa SHA Pole Pole platform.
Also Read: Duale Submits Files to DCI Amid SHA Scandal Claims
He also responded to inquiries on the Linda Jamii scheme and assured legislators that the government remains committed to affordable healthcare under Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
On disease control, the CS reported that Kenya has made substantial progress in combating tuberculosis, achieving a 41% reduction in incidence and a 65% decline in mortality towards the 2025 End TB targets.
Drug-resistant TB cases have fallen by 48% since 2015, leading to Kenya’s removal from the World Health Organisation’s high-burden list in 2020.
“This progress led to Kenya being removed from the WHO high-burden list in 2020,” he emphasised.
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