High court suspends Ruto’s Social Health Insurance Act.
The high court of Kenya suspends Ruto’s Social Health Insurance Act, Primary Health Care Act, and the Digital and Digital Health Act.
This comes after the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists & Dentists Union (KMPDU) had moved to court and applied to have the Acts suspended citing negative effects on the larger health sector.
Justice Mwita ruled,” A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the respondents, their agents, or anyone acting on their directives from implementing and enforcing The Social Health Insurance Act 2023, The Primary Health Care Act, 2023, and The Digital Health Act, 2023 until 7th February 2024.”
The court further ordered the Health Ministry to issue a response to the petition within 7 days after which they will have another 7 days of filing and serving supplementary affidavits to the petition.
The Ministry will thereby have another 7 days to file and serve written submissions to the petition which should not exceed 10 pages.
This comes after it was assented into law by President William Ruto to help the government achieve Universal Health Coverage in line with the Head of State’s legacy plan.
The social health fund divided the National Health Insurance Fund into three funds which include; the Primary Health Care Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund.
According to the Government, The Primary Healthcare was meant to fund services from level 1 to 3 facilities whereas the Social Health Insurance Fund was meant to cover level 4 to 6 health facilities.
However, Health Insurance Act is done the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund will be used.
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