Aga Khan University Hospital, Social Health Authority (SHA) sign partnership agreement to advance access to equitable specialised care
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – The Aga Khan University Hospital and Social Health Authority (SHA) has signed a partnership agreement paving way for eligible Kenyans to acess advanced medical services especially kidney transplants and heart surgeries under Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Social Health Authority under the agreement will vet, acess and approve patients for specialised treatment in collaboration with the hospital, once approved each case will be fully covered upto KES 700,000 which include surgery and necessary post-operative care as per SHA’s national care package.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Aden Duale while presiding over the signing ceremony said the partnership directly supports Ministry’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage by making advanced medical care available to all Kenyans regardless of their economic status.
“By partnering with reputable institutions like Aga Khan University Hospital and leveraging mechanisms such as patient welfare program, we are accelerating access to life saving care for vulnerable citizens across the country “, said CS Duale.
Aga Khan University Hospital CEO, Rashid Khalani said that they are honoured to work with Social Health Authority in the national effort to expand acess to life-saving surgeries.
“This Collaboration reflects our commitment to giving back the society by delivering care to those in need while upholding world class medical standards, our facilities, technology and highly trained specialists are aligned to ensure every patient receives high quality treatment with dignity”, said Rashid Khalani.
The hospital has reiterated that it will maintain detailed patient records, submit timely invoices in line with SHA’s financial and reporting requirements and ensure follow-up and aftercare as needed and also share regular progress and outcomes reports with SHA including treatment statistics a procedural data.
Under the AKUH-SHA partnership will provide Subsidized cardiac surgeries including critical procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve replacements, will be available for eligible patients in need of advanced cardiac care.
Duale noted that the initiative represents a significant step forward in reducing catastrophic health expenditures, particularly for Kenya’s most vulnerable populations.
“Through this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that no Kenyan is denied life-saving treatment due to financial constraints”. He added.
Furthermore, CS Duale urged Aga Khan University Hospital to generate evidence on the model, providing valuable insights that will enable healthcare institutions across all sectors public, private, and faith-based to adopt and scale the approach, ensuring that subsidized services reach SHA beneficiaries in need of critical care a eliminate out-of-pocket barriers.
“I call upon healthcare facilities to implement the SHA Tariff and Benefits Package, reinforcing our collective commitment to equitable healthcare access minimizing financial burden to families and communities”.
