Government to deregister hospitals charging cash despite SHA rollout
Government warns private hospitals refusing to use SHA system risk blacklisting
Government warns private hospitals refusing to use SHA system risk blacklisting
The government on Tuesday cautioned hospitals registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA) accused of denying patients services that they risk deregistration.
Speaking to health stakeholders in Mombasa, Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai noted that some health facilities deliberately declined to utilise the government’s system and instead demanded cash from patients.
PS Kimtai underscored the need for hospitals especially private facilities to heed the government’s directive, warning that facilities denying poor Kenyans access to free healthcare services would be deregistered.
“Some of these facilities are deliberately refusing to use the system, some claim that the system is not working. A case in point is that for dialysis patients, they use the system and for other patients, they don’t,” the PS noted.
Kimtai revealed that the government would soon publish a list of all hospitals registered under SHA to enable Kenyans to identify the health facilities contracted by the government to provide free healthcare services.
“Some hospitals give very flimsy reasons but now we want to publish them that these are the hospitals who have been contracted so that a Kenyan goes there and they are asked for cash then we will take action against those facilities,” the PS reiterated.
The PS stated that the 47 county technical steering committees that have been established are expected to visit more than 7,000 health facilities registered with the Social Health Authority to ensure that they comply with the government’s directive on the provision of free healthcare.
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He further stated that the government would also work handily with faith-based organisations in every county to ensure seamless progress in the implementation of the new health insurance scheme.
Kimtai also noted that the National Treasury would soon disburse another Ksh3 billion to health facilities owed by the government to hospitals. The move comes hardly a week after the Ministry of Treasury disbursed Ksh1.5 billion.
The latest warning comes barely two days after President William Ruto directed private hospitals to finalise enrollment with the new health insurance scheme to avoid inconveniences.
Speaking during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, Ruto stated that Kenyans employed under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) would be prioritised under the SHA.
“I’m aware that during this transition period, the employees of the former NHIF will be managed in accordance with the SHA Act of 2023,” Ruto stated. “I want to assure all the NHIF employees that no one will lose their jobs,” he added.
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