The Social Health Authority (SHA) has rolled out biometric fingerprint identification for all registered child dependents, introducing a new verification layer for minors seeking treatment under the national health insurance scheme.
In a public notice released on Tuesday, July 7, SHA announced that the system will capture and use fingerprints for children aged 7 to 17. The authority will require parents or guardians to provide explicit consent before healthcare workers register a minor’s biometrics.
“SHA has introduced fingerprint identification for registered child dependants aged 7 to 17 years. Parents or guardians are required to give consent for the fingerprint to be captured,” SHA stated.
How the Enrollment Works
According to the agency, SHA-contracted healthcare facilities will handle the digital enrollment directly during a child’s next treatment visit. This real-time capture aims to accurately verify the minor’s identity and guarantee that medical services reach the intended beneficiaries.
“The child’s fingerprint will be captured at a SHA-contracted healthcare provider when the child visits for treatment. It will be used to identify the child and confirm that the correct beneficiary is receiving care,” it added.
Where fingerprint verification is not possible, SHA noted that hospitals may authenticate the user by matching the principal contributor’s identification number with a one-time password (OTP). The authority reassured members that the system handles all biometric data securely in strict compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2019, ruling out any possibility of a privacy invasion.
Why SHA Is Making the Change
Following widespread allegations of fraud under the previous national insurance framework, this strategy is expected to reinforce beneficiary identification and ensure healthcare services reach only the rightful recipients. To support this rollout, the government, through the Digital Health Agency (DHA), has already deployed over 8,000 biometric scanners to public health facilities nationwide.
According to the ministry, forcing physical fingerprint authentication makes it nearly impossible for fraudsters to fabricate medical claims without the child physically being at the facility.
SHA officials noted that one of the authority’s biggest administrative hurdles stems from registered members failing to log into the system to update their personal and dependent records. This biometric initiative directly addresses that gap, shifting the national health insurance architecture from a self-reported digital platform to a physically verified database.
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