SHA Patients To Lose Access To Private Hospitals Including Teachers And Police

Public servants including all teachers, police officers, and other civil servants using government insurance, SHA will not receive treatment in several private hospitals starting Monday, February 24.

The Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association of Kenya (RUPHA) announced on Thursday, February 20, 2025, that they will withhold treatment for civil servants until their debt is cleared.

RUPHA noted that the insurer responsible for covering teachers and police officers has failed to settle outstanding payments, leaving hospitals with significant financial burdens.

“We will stop providing medical services to police and teachers using the government insurance from Monday,” announced Rev Joseph Kariuki, Deputy Chairperson, RUPHA.

The association further threatened and emphasized that unless the government clears the pending debts, its member hospitals will not resume treating civil servants using the Social Health Authority (SHA)

“No services to teachers, police, and SHA patients from Monday until the government honors our demands,” asserted Kariuki.

RUPHA wants the government to clear all pending bills accumulated under the old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) from 2017. The government owed approximately Ksh29 billion to private hospitals.

“Why is it that the Treasury does not value the lives of Kenyans,” the RUPHA chairperson asked.

RUPHA also warned that it could stop treating patients covered under the Social Health Authority (SHA) if payment issues persist. SHA, which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), has also reportedly failed to clear outstanding bills.

According to RUPHA, its members have had their hospitals auctioned, lost employees, and, as a result, some specialists have refused to offer services. Doctors are now saying they will not treat patients without paying cash,” Rev Kariuki revealed.

Thousands of civil servants and SHA members will be left without access to critical healthcare services in private hospitals across the country.

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