Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha on Tuesday, June 20, exposed a private hospital fleecing millions from the government through questionable surgeries.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Health Committee, Nakhumicha noted that 60 per cent of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) disbursements went to private hospitals.
She argued that the private hospitals made false claims about patients they attended to in an effort to loot from NHIF.
“In all honesty, and I am yet to be convinced, you will have a small private facility performing more surgeries than Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, and Moi Referral Hospital combined,” she wondered.
She explained that the discovery informed her decision to suspend 8 NHIF branch managers on Monday, June 19.
Imploring the committee to support her crackdown, she pleaded, “I am seeking your support in this. Unfortunately, there will be casualties but please stand with me.”
Nakhumicha further explained that the 8 suspended hospitals included some of the top beneficiries of the latest NHIF disbursement.
“From the payments we made this month after delays, the top facility to be paid is one of those suspended,” she explained.
Nakhumicha added that she did not act unilaterally and that she had an early morning meeting with the NHIF chairperson before suspending the branch managers and the hospitals.
She further denied claims that closing hospitals had put patients in the facilities at risk.
“We did not just close facilities. I gave them 24 hours because I knew there would be an impact.
“One of the facilities had the audacity to write back to me complaining that it had over 200 admissions,” the CS remarked.
The health CS noted that the 24-hour window was enough for patients to be relocated except those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Nakhumicha vowed to stand by her decision and lead from the front to ensure reforms in the health sector.
