SHA, SHIF OR TAIFA CARE? WHICH IS WHICH?
Opinion By Ndambari Karen - Student KCAU Photo Courtesy: State House Kenya The recent introduction of the Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) has left many of us scratching our heads. From the very beginning, it seemed like a move driven by a lack of clear direction, causing confusion for both the public and healthcare providers. We were, told SHA would be the solution to Kenya’s health challenges, but here we are, still struggling to understand its role, its benefits, and most importantly, its reliability. One can't help but wonder: Was SHA really necessary? Even from its name, is it SHA, SHIF, TAIFA CARE or what really is it? A health system that can’t really be referred to by a single name only for everyone to refer to it as they wish? Isn’t that the first place we got it wrong? Before it came into being, we had the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which, though not perfect, was functioning and widely accepted by Kenyans. So why rush to dismantle an existing system th...