Aasai

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has taken a major step towards the implementation of the new national insurance scheme by appointing a 16-member Social Health Authority (SHA) Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel. This panel will be tasked with providing expert advice to the Cabinet Secretary and the CEO of the Social Health Authority on matters related to benefits packages and tariffs under the Social Health Insurance Regulations of 2024.

The appointment was made official through a special gazette notice issued on Wednesday, in which Duale exercised the powers conferred by Regulations 41 (2) and 43 (1) of the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024. According to the notice, the panel’s role is to advise on benefits packages as outlined under Regulation 40 (1) of the same regulations. The 16-member panel is composed entirely of medical professionals and will serve for a period of three years.

Professor Walter G. Jaoko, a well-respected figure in the health sector, has been appointed as the chairperson of the panel. Other members include Health Director General Patrick Amoth, alongside Nehemiah Odera, Margaret Macharia, Hajara El Busaidy, Robert Rapando, Gabriel Muswali, Mary Kigasia Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, and Walter Oyamo Obita. The remaining members are Valeria Makory, Stephen Kaboro, Francis Motiri, Christine Wambugu, Tabitha Okech, Patricia Nyokabi, and Abdiaziz Abdikadir Ahmed.

This move comes at a time when there is rising public concern about the viability, effectiveness, and fairness of the new Social Health Authority scheme. Many Kenyans have questioned how the new insurance plan will operate and whether it will truly benefit ordinary citizens. Duales initiative appears to be a proactive effort to respond to those concerns by ensuring that qualified experts are involved in shaping the scheme’s design and implementation.

Furthermore, CS Duale emphasized his determination to reform the health ministry by eliminating corruption and inefficiencies. He stated his commitment to eradicating cartels within the ministry that have hindered its progress. "I will face the cartels head-on because I have blessings from the president," he declared, signaling a strong political will behind his actions.

In a related development, Duale has also addressed growing concerns over alleged irregularities in organ transplant procedures in the country. He announced the formation of a separate 16-member Independent Investigative Committee on Tissue and Organ Transplant Services. This committee is tasked with probing the unfolding scandal involving Mediheal Hospital, which has recently come under scrutiny following an exposé about questionable transplant practices.

This investigative committee will be chaired by Professor Elizabeth Bukusi, another esteemed health professional, and will operate for a period of three months. The committee’s primary duties will include auditing the hospital, investigating reported transplant cases, and interviewing key stakeholders such as renal transplant surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists, administrators, and both donors and recipients.

Additionally, the committee will review existing policies and legal frameworks that govern tissue and organ transplant services in Kenya. Based on their findings, the committee will compile a detailed report with recommendations to be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary. This move demonstrates a serious commitment to accountability, transparency, and ethical standards in the health sector.

Altogether, these developments reflect a strong resolve by the Ministry of Health to implement long-overdue reforms, restore public trust, and enhance service delivery. The appointment of the advisory panel and investigative committee marks a turning point in how health policy and regulation will be shaped in Kenya going forward