The Social Health Authority (SHA) has announced the contracting of several overseas hospitals to provide specialized and life-saving medical treatment for Kenyan patients, particularly teachers under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) scheme.
The facilities are located in Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia and will be used for complex medical cases that cannot be adequately handled locally.
In a statement, SHA said the move is aimed at expanding access to advanced healthcare services abroad.
“SHA has finalized the contracting of overseas facilities to provide specialized, life-saving interventions for teachers,” the authority said.
SHA confirmed that the list of approved hospitals and guidelines for accessing treatment have been published on both the SHA and TSC websites.
The authority also announced that the first patient is scheduled to travel for treatment tonight.
“We therefore urge all teachers to make use of the contracted facilities,” the statement added.
The contracted hospitals include well-known institutions in Asia and the Middle East, which are expected to handle critical and specialized cases referred from Kenya.
The facilities listed are:
a) Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Turkey
b) Acibadem Atakent Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
c) Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
d) Acibadem Altunizade Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
e) Acibadem Adana Hospital, Turkey
f) Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, India
g) Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
h) King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
i) Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (Apollo Cancer Centre), Chennai, India
j) KIMS Hospital Enterprises Private Ltd, Andhra Pradesh, India
SHA said the partnership is part of broader reforms to strengthen access to specialized care for Kenyan workers, especially in cases involving cancer treatment, organ failure, and other complex conditions requiring advanced medical technology.
Health officials noted that the inclusion of internationally recognized hospitals is expected to reduce delays in accessing treatment and improve survival outcomes for patients requiring urgent intervention.
TSC has encouraged teachers to familiarize themselves with the application process and eligibility criteria as outlined on official platforms.
It said coordination with SHA will ensure smooth referral and travel arrangements for approved patients.
The announcement comes as Kenya continues to expand its health coverage systems under universal health reforms, with increased emphasis on both local capacity building and international medical partnerships.
Authorities emphasized that the overseas treatment programme will complement, not replace, ongoing investments in domestic healthcare infrastructure.