The storming of Ministry of Health offices on Wednesday by angry patients from Kenyatta National Hospital highlighted the frustrations that thousands of Kenyans seeking health services under the new medical scheme have been enduring.
Frequent system outages and approval delays for services are some of the challenges clouding the implementation of the health scheme, denying patients easy access to treatment in several facilities across the country.
The situation has become so dire that patients seeking outpatient services have been forced to dig deep into their pockets to pay for services due to persistent system failures.
While Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has issued an apology for the delays, blaming them on a system downturn that had lasted for days, the failure by the management of the Social Health Authority (SHA) to acknowledge or communicate these system failures raises fundamental questions about the authority's commitment to delivering health services.
