KNH ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR PATIENTS SEEKING SHA SERVICES

Kenyatta National Hospital has released a notice outlining important guidelines for patients seeking inpatient admission under the Social Health Authority(SHA) scheme. In a statement dated July 8, 2025, KNH urged patients to follow the required procedures to avoid delays or unexpected out of pocket expenses. To qualify for SHA coverage KNH advises patients to carry a valid national identification card that is registered under SHA and reflects active membership. Before admission, patients must secure a reference number along with a confirmation message from SHA confirming initiation of the visit. Also, patients whose SHIF is inactive at the time of admission must reactivate their SHIF immediately and return to the Health Information Desk to obtain a new reference number.

 SHA coverage will only take effect from the date the new reference number is issued. KNH has warned that SHA would not cover any costs if the admission entry was not properly referenced at the time of entry. The notice comes after patients’ uproar over technical issues faced by KNH during the admission of patients using SHA. In the complaints, patients had decried high cost, cases of maximum admission charges, and failure of SHA systems at the facility that receives numerous patients daily. KNH had earlier on October 2, 2024, announced the full rollout of the SHA program. As a national referral facility and accredited service provider, KNH has since integrated both the Emergency Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund (ECCIF) and SHIF into its inpatient and outpatient care services.