State House Director of Public Communications Gerald Bitok has schooled X influencer Bevalyne Kwamboka who is in desperate need of healthcare.
In a statement, Bitok responded to Kwamboka’s plea for help and allegations that the Social Health Authority (SHA) was not functioning as claimed by the government.
According to her, she had been forced to pay for treatment out of pocket despite being registered to SHIF, adding that she might undergone surgery, which will be very expensive.
“I am still in pain, and nothing can be done until I undergo a CT scan. I’m at the German Centre for the procedure. The government is lying about SHA. I’ve been paying everything out of pocket. Yes, I’m registered with SHA.”
“If the CT scan results allow for surgery, I can’t even imagine how much they’ll charge since SHA is Shit,” she stated.
Also Read: Concern as 67% of Kenyans Express Dissatisfaction With SHA Services
State House Staff Responds
In his response, Bitok addressed Kwamboka’s criticisms of the program. “I empathize with you during this time of sickness and financial need. Wishing you a speedy recovery,” he wrote.
However, he pointed out that Kwamboka’s challenges were partly rooted in misinformation about the SHA system and her choice to use the wrong payment gateway.
He stated that Kwamboka, who has been at the forefront of the #REJECTSHA campaign, reportedly attempted to pay her SHA premiums at the last minute as she sought medical services.
“Given that you have been passionately fighting SHA, I hope we all now realize that healthcare is extremely expensive and nobody can plan for sickness either of self or kin and that’s why we need to pool together through Universal Healthcare for such times as yours.
“We need to kill the hospital bills Harambee culture, deaths and losses resulting from unequal or no access to healthcare services.”
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Also Read: Health CS Gives Way Forward for Kenyans Who Want Their SHA Contribution Lowered
What Happened to Kwamboka’s Money
Further, he explained that her payments were misdirected, leaving her without the necessary funds in her SHA account to access comprehensive healthcare services. He urged her to seek a refund and use the correct Paybill number, 200222, with her ID as the account number.
“You have “paid”(quotes because you paid the wrong account) a total amount of Ksh 8,750 and looking at your compensation demands, you could easily end up with a bill of over Ksh250,000. CT scan(range 18k-50k) surgery (range 100k-200k). Do you pause to wonder who pays for the Ksh241,250 difference if everyone doesn’t contribute consistently?
“No insurance works like that,” Bitok stated. “No insurance would pay your bills because you showed up one morning with a premium expecting immediate compensation.”
Also, he questioned whether or not the X influencer followed the correct means testing process to determine her correct premium amount.
In response, Kwamboka insisted that the smooth transition from NHIF never happened and that her original payment had been sent to SHIF through eCitizen.
“We demand a functional, inclusive healthcare system, not one that benefits a few while leaving others to struggle. Universal healthcare should be accessible to everyone, not selective or exclusive,” she stated.
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