Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued a stern warning to private hospitals in the country over fraudulent admissions aimed at siphoning funds from the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical insurance scheme.
Speaking in Voi town, Taita Taveta County, Duale revealed that some hospitals have been submitting false claims, stating they performed surgeries that never took place.
“There are hospitals claiming they conduct more surgeries than Kenyatta National Hospital, yet KNH has 25 theatre rooms, while another facility with only two theatres claims to perform 50 surgeries a day,” Duale pointed out.
He disclosed that one such hospital has already been shut down, with the full backing of President William Ruto. “The owner is an MP. When he approached me, I told him to find another business. He went to the president, and the president made it clear — the days of looting NHIF funds are over,” Duale said.
The Cabinet Secretary further announced that 24.4 million Kenyans have so far registered for medical insurance under SHA, with 159,000 of them from Taita Taveta County. Additionally, Ksh.165 million has been disbursed to counties to facilitate SHA medical treatment.
Duale also urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities linked to SHA by dialing the toll-free number *147#.
