A recent report has revealed that 46% of Kenyan health facilities have not yet fully adopted the Social Health Authority’s (SHA) e-contracting platform.
According to Moe, a prominent blogger who shared this story on his official X handle, the system was introduced to streamline operations and enhance accountability within the health sector.
Despite its intended purpose, as of January 6, 2025, out of 3,993 health facilities contacted, 1,863 had not signed their e-contracts, raising concerns about compliance and efficiency in service delivery.
The e-contracting platform requires health facilities to register with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) using their license numbers as unique identifiers.
As of January 21, 2025, 12,190 health facilities had been licensed by the KMPDC. However, only 2,130 facilities have successfully completed the e-contracting process.
This highlights gaps, particularly in county government and private health providers, who are lagging in compliance.
County government facilities are facing major challenges, with only 536 out of 1,366 facilities having fully completed the e-contracting process, leaving 830 yet to comply.
Similarly, private health facilities show a notable delay, as 872 out of 2,244 facilities have not completed the transition.
This situation has created inefficiencies, especially in accessing funds and improving health service delivery.
Brian Lishenga, the chairperson of the Rural-Urban and Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA), has pointed out that delays in private sector compliance stem from issues such as incorrect Master Facility Listing (MFL) codes and categorization problems by the KMPDC.
These issues have severely impacted the cash flow of many private health facilities.
A report from RUPHA indicates that 52% of these facilities received payments covering less than 20% of their submitted claims, with only 6% receiving reimbursements for more than 80% of their claims.
Furthermore, primary care facilities reported receiving smaller amounts, with most payments being below Sh50,000, highlighting the financial challenges they face.
The SHA’s e-contracting platform was initially designed to automate contracting processes for health facilities to improve accountability and efficiency.
However, the slow adoption of this system reflects the challenges faced by many health facilities in transitioning to this new model.
Moe’s shared report underscores the need for immediate interventions to resolve the barriers and ensure that all health facilities benefit from this initiative.
Without urgent action, the e-contracting platform may fail to achieve its goals, leaving gaps in Kenya’s health sector and undermining efforts to deliver quality healthcare services.
