Duale Explains SHA Position on Marriage Certificate Requirement for Teachers

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has clarified that patients seeking In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)treatment through the Social Health Authority (SHA) are not required to provide a marriage certificate.

Duale’s statement came after a teacher complained that she had been asked to produce a marriage certificate before her IVF treatment could be approved. The issue also sparked criticism from officials of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET).

In a statement, Duale said the requirement was included in a communication sent to a hospital by mistake.

“SHA wishes to clarify that a marriage certificate is not a requirement for accessing IVF services. The reference to a marriage certificate in the communication was made in error,” he said.

According to Duale, the hospital has been advised to resubmit the request through the correct verification and pre-authorisation process for review.

He added that SHA remains committed to providing fair and patient-centred healthcare services while improving its communication and administrative processes.

Teacher Says Requirement Demoralized Her

The teacher, who has been trying to conceive for more than 18 years, and was interviewed by Citizen TV said she was hopeful after learning that IVF treatment could be covered under SHA.

However, she said her hopes were shattered when she was informed that she would need to provide a marriage certificate for the treatment to be approved.

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She argued that healthcare services should be accessible without such conditions, especially for people seeking infertility treatment.

“There should be no conditions to access healthcare because this is a healthcare matter,” she said.

KUPPET Leaders Condemn the Requirement

KUPPET officials also criticised the requirement, saying SHA should not ask contributors to prove their marital status before accessing treatment.

KUPPET Gender Secretary Juliet Kimotho said the focus should be on the contributor who is paying for the health cover.

“This is a teacher who is paying, not a spouse. If I am the contributor, it is not SHA’s business to know who my spouse is,” she said.

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Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima also demanded that SHA stop asking teachers to provide proof of marriage.

“We demand that they stop asking teachers to provide proof of marriage. There is no condition that we have signed with SHA that requires a marriage certificate or proof of marriage,” he said.

SHA Letter Included Marriage Certificate

Documents sent by SHA to the hospital listed several requirements for IVF pre-authorisation, including case notes, laboratory and radiology reports, and a medical report from a gynaecologist or fertility specialist.

The communication also instructed the hospital to send the patient to SHA headquarters with a marriage certificate or affidavit for verification.

The inclusion of that requirement triggered the dispute and prompted complaints from the affected teacher and KUPPET officials.

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SHA building. PHOTO/SHA