This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
On July 1, 2019, Kaltum Guyo wrote about the glaring discrimination in healthcare in Kenya, highlighting the need for a more equitable system.
According to Guyo, the NHIF's three-tier health scheme is a clear example of discrimination, where the ruling class and civil servants benefit more than those they represent in Parliament.
She noted that most of those who benefit from NHIF are the employed, while the self-employed and the poor are left with limited options.
"If you are self-employed, NHIF does very little for you on a Sh500 cover," Guyo wrote.
She also pointed out that the Health Act 2017 offers many rights on paper but fails to deliver in reality, leaving the poor struggling to access quality healthcare.
One such case is that of a maid who was taken into hospital after a difficult birth, only to be told she needed to pay for her care because she delivered at home and did not qualify for free maternity care.
"Labour pangs are indeterminate and can happen anywhere, anytime and in any place," Guyo wrote. "Again, most poor, illiterate mothers are unaware of what is required of them to access healthcare. Why punish them for being ignorant?"
She also questioned the government's commitment to universal healthcare, pointing out that there are many fancy campaigns but little effort to assess their impact on ordinary Kenyans.
"When the government talks of UHC, it should have equality at the centre of it," Guyo wrote. "Having the ruling class on super private health insurance and suggesting priority NHIF cover for civil servants and the employed is not a way to create equality in healthcare. What it does is lead to discrimination in provision of healthcare."
She proposed several solutions to address the issue, including removing private insurance cover for all government workers, improving services in public hospitals, and requiring all state officers and public officials to attend public hospitals like the rest.
"A policy that is tiered to give a small class of the population the best healthcare is unconstitutional and violates the Bill of Rights on discrimination and socioeconomic rights for all," Guyo wrote.
