Government too broke to remit NHIF funds, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha reveals
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Patients to deep in their pockets to finance their treatment as Health CS Susan Nakhumicha says government is too broke to remit NHIF money
Patients to deep in their pockets to finance their treatment as Health CS Susan Nakhumicha says government is too broke to remit NHIF money.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha claimed that the government was too broke to transmit money to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), forcing patients who depend on the national insurer to pay cash or forgo treatment.
According to Nakhumicha, the situation in the country was so severe that the national insurer was still having financial difficulties.
“Kenya is broke and that is the fact that no one can deny at all. The cash crisis has even affected NHIF and that is the whole truth. We are working on all available interventions to see how we will address the situation.
One of the best solutions we are thinking about is the introduction of the Finance Bill 2023. That’s why our President is so passionate about it,” she said.
“I want to assure Kenyans that we sat down with the President this week and informed him about the necessity of the health sector in the country. I told him that he should prioritize the matter and look for funds to pay NHIF. He agreed,” she added.
The CS claimed that the permanent solution would be the adoption of the Finance Bill 2023.
Nakhumicha also revealed that currently, hospitals owed NHIF close to Ksh20 billion.
“We are in talks with Treasury to see how this money will be released. Talks are at an advanced stage and very soon things will be better,” she said.
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At the same time, Nakhumicha said the government had formed an advisory council that will seek to address the numerous health workers’ strikes.
“We have gazetted Kenya Advisory Council that will seek to advise how to deal with health workers in the counties and the national government. In the next two weeks President Ruto will inaugurate members of the Kenya Human Resource Advisory Council,” she said.
Currently, close to 80 per cent of Kenyans depend on the national insurer to pay for their health services.
With the current stalemate kidney failure patients are set to suffer the most as on average a single dialysis session costs between Ksh9,500 to about Ksh16,000.
However, with NHIF coverage patients don’t pay anything unless they exceed the three required sessions per week.
This comes even after the private hospitals withdrew use of NHIF and are now asking patients to either pay cash or seek services elsewhere.
“We took the oath to attend to the patients. It is our duty to do this but the situation is not good at all. We have been unable to pay salaries for close to three months now and no one seems to listen to us,” Chairman Rural Private Hospitals Association Brian (RUPHA) Lishenga said.
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