The Ministry of Health’s committee established to ensure a smooth transition to the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) has recommended suspending the planned rollout of the system from July 1 due to problems with the digital platform designed for contribution payment and registration.
The transition committee of the Social Health Authority (SHA), tasked with managing the SHIF and replacing the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), stated in its report that a pilot run of the ICT system revealed its was not ready less than a week before the scheduled switchover.
The team suggested that the Ministry of Health should consider continuing with the NHIF and withdrawing the regulations already issued for the new system.
“The trial run of the SHA ICT system in Marsabit revealed that the new system is not yet ready. The challenges are being addressed and a second trial run with proxy mean testing can be conducted thereafter,” stated the committee’s report after a meeting last Friday.
“The ICT experts have been asked to propose alternatives to the ICT system for the SHA, especially in the area of registration and contribution. There is a need for an alternative solution that also includes the withdrawal of the SHA regulations and the use of NHIF systems, and the latter has financial implications. The nature of the contract with the current NHIF system licenses and contracts needs to be renewed.”
