RUTO now plans to sell Kenyans’ SHA/SHIF data to insurance companies, researchers, and students for a fortune – Look!
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – Kenyans have raised concerns about their privacy after it emerged that President William Ruto and his government plan to sell out data under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). This follows the government’s move to monetise patient data, which will be managed exclusively by government authorities. According to the proposed Digital Health Information Management Regulations 2024, medical students and researchers will have to pay at least Ksh30,000 to access health data collected under SHIF. Central to the new framework is the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). However, there will be two data banks, the National Health Data Bank and the County Health Data Banks. In the regulations, all health facilities accredited by SHA will be required to store all patient data collected in the course of diagnosis and any other follow-up check in a National Health Data Bank. ESB will act as the backbone enabling data exchange among certified health providers, granting them access to the data held between the two banks. However, access to this system is not free. According to the proposed bill, onboarding fees for entities range from Ksh2,000 to a staggering Ksh100,000, depending on the level of service. Furthermore, annual licenses are priced separately, with Level 6 facilities paying up to Ksh25,000 annually. Among the more controversial elements is the provision allowing private entities, such as health insurance firms, to access the data for claims management. Critics argue this opens the door to commercial exploitation. The regulations stipulate a flat fee of Ksh25 per insured life annually, but how these fees trickle down to the insured Kenyans remains unclear. The Kenyan DAILY POST
Ladun Liadi -