No more harambees? How SHA is easing healthcare costs for Mt Kenya families

For many Kenyan families, a serious illness or medical emergency has often come with a second crisis: finding the money to pay the hospital bill.

In communities across Mt Kenya, families have traditionally turned to relatives, friends, neighbours and harambees when a loved one needed costly treatment.

But residents who have used the Social Health Authority (SHA) say health cover is beginning to ease some of that financial pressure, allowing families to focus more on treatment and recovery.

For some, the difference has been felt during emergencies, maternity care and treatment for ongoing health conditions.

For Baba Fahim, a fruit vendor in Sagana, the value of SHA became clear after his wife was hit by a vehicle.

He says he rushed her to hospital following the accident, but the problems did not end there. After returning home, her pain persisted and a subsequent hospital visit revealed that she had broken ribs and needed treatment and bed rest.

The situation placed Fahim under significant pressure as he had to deal with the police, the P3 process and hospital visits while also worrying about how he would meet the cost of treatment.

He says the SHA process was relatively straightforward. After filling in the required forms and making the necessary payment, he says the cover began working, allowing his wife to be admitted and receive treatment.

For Fahim, the support offered relief at a time when an unexpected medical emergency could easily have become a financial crisis.

In Embu, Kevin Nduguta says SHA helped his family manage the cost of welcoming their second child.

Nduguta says SHA covered about Sh30,000 of the maternity expenses, while he contributed another Sh10,000. His wife and baby have since returned home and are doing well.

He says the support also continues through the baby's clinic visits, reducing some of the financial pressure that can follow childbirth.

His experience contrasts with the birth of his first child five years ago, when he says he struggled financially because he did not have enough money.

Nduguta now wants more hospitals to be built and expanded so families can access better services closer to home, including improved maternity facilities.

For Jacqueline Nyokabi, a resident of Embu, SHA has also changed how she approaches hospital treatment.

She says after applying for SHA at a hospital in Embu last year, she was able to receive treatment and medicine without paying as she previously did.

Before SHA, she says lack of money could sometimes mean avoiding hospital treatment and turning to chemists instead.

Her experience points to another part of the healthcare challenge: having cover matters, but so does having health facilities within reach.

Nyokabi hopes more hospitals will be built, particularly in remote areas, where residents may have to travel long distances to access treatment.

Anne Wanjiru, a resident of Kieni in Nyeri, is seeing the impact of SHA as her daughter receives treatment at Karatina District Hospital.

She says her daughter has been receiving scans, medicine and support towards the hospital bill through SHA.

For Wanjiru, such assistance is particularly important for families dealing with conditions such as diabetes and cancer, which can require continuous treatment and medication.

She says SHA is giving families some relief by helping them access care without having to carry the entire financial burden alone.

The experiences of these residents point to a broader shift in how families manage healthcare costs, but financial protection is only one part of the equation.

Investment in healthcare facilities is also expected to improve access. The upgrade of Githunguri Hospital in Kiambu towards Level 5 status is intended to expand specialised services and reduce the need for residents to travel further for treatment.

For Mt Kenya families, the goal is increasingly twofold: having health cover that cushions them from large medical expenses and having well-equipped hospitals closer to where they live.

SHA may not mean the end of every harambee or medical expense, but for families who have already used it, it is beginning to change what happens when illness strikes.