The Social Health Authority (SHA) moves to quell anxiety among patients requiring specialized care abroad, promising a definitive list of accredited foreign hospitals by March.

For thousands of Kenyan families looking west and east for life-saving treatment, the uncertainty is almost over. The Social Health Authority (SHA) has announced that a comprehensive list of accredited overseas hospitals will be released next month, bringing clarity to a medical referral system that has been in limbo. SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi made the revelation before the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, aiming to calm the nerves of patients stranded in the transition from the defunct NHIF.

The shift to the new health authority brought with it a procedural freeze. Unlike the NHIF, which had established relationships, the SHA is legally required to start from scratch, vetting and contracting facilities afresh. This bureaucratic reset has caused delays, but Dr. Mwangangi assured lawmakers that the procurement process is in its final stages. "We will publish the names of those facilities, whether in India, Turkey, or Germany, with which SHA has contracted," she affirmed.

The Sh500,000 Cap

Crucially, the CEO clarified the financial limits of the scheme. The SHA will cover specialized overseas treatment up to a maximum of Ksh 500,000. While this provides a safety net, it also signals that patients will still need to shoulder a significant portion of the costs for expensive procedures like transplants or complex oncology. This cap is a reality check for the sustainability of the fund.

The committee, led by MP Emmanuel Wangwe, grilled the SHA leadership on the transparency of these foreign partnerships. The ghost of past medical tourism scams, where patients were funneled to substandard clinics for kickbacks, hangs over the process. Mwangangi’s promise of a public list is a step towards sanitizing the referral pipeline.

• The Destinations: India remains the primary destination for Kenyans due to cost-efficiency, but the new list is expected to broaden options to include Turkey and Germany for highly specialized surgeries not available locally.
• Local Capacity: The long-term goal remains building local capacity. The SHA argues that by strictly vetting overseas referrals, they can identify gaps in the local system and incentivize investment in Kenyan healthcare infrastructure.

A New Era of Accountability

The release of this list in March will be a litmus test for the SHA’s efficiency. For patients waiting for approval, it is a matter of life and death, not just paperwork.

As the SHA finds its footing, the message is clear: the days of unregulated medical tourism are ending. The new system promises to be rigorous, transparent, and, hopefully, more humane for those seeking hope across the borders.