Deal with culprits not suspending SHA services, MPs urge Duale

Health committee in the National Assembly wants the state to deal with individuals perpetrating fraud when using Social Health Authority.

The parliamentary committee wants the Health CS Aden Duale to avoid closing health facilities with SHA fraud cases and instead arrest and prosecute individuals behind the issues.

Some health facilities across the country have been suspended from providing services using SHA following the discovery of fraud.

The committee chairman and Seme MP James Nyikal told CS Duale to face individual officials of health facilities who misuse funds from SHA.

Nyikal together with Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino, Joshua Oron (Kisumu Central), Cynthia Muge (Nandi) and Titus Khamala (Lurambi) argued that stopping health facilities from providing services using SHA denies Kenyans from accessing medical care.

Nyikal appealed to the government to take legal action against individual officials found culpable in the theft.

“The Ministry of Health should invite the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and other law enforcement agencies to punish people who steal SHA funds. It’s improper to stop such health facilities from using SHA because they deny innocent Kenyans from getting treatment in hospitals,” Nyikal said.

Speaking on Wednesday during a fact finding mission on SHA usage at St Elizabeth Swindon Hospital, Matata Nursing and Maternity Home, Rachuonyo Subcounty Hospital and other health facilities in Homa Bay, the committee urged the government to address the challenges raised by Kenyans on the new health scheme.

They were joined by Homa Bay Medical health chief officer Kevin Osuri and deputy director Collins Ondeng’.

Owino said they realised many Kenyans who were affected after hospitals near them were stopped from using SHA, suffer as they seek medication in far places.

Their mission also found out that some health facilities had empty beds following suspension from using SHA by the Ministry of Health.

“The moment a health facility is barred from using SHA, the people who suffer are the citizens. Let poor Kenyans not suffer at the expense of a few officials who perpetrate the crime in the health facilities,” Owino said.

During the visit, various health facilities expressed concerns over challenges they face due to inefficiency in the use of SHA.

At Matata Nursing & Maternity Home in Oyugis in Kasipul constituency, the Director John Malago said he had not paid workers for three months due to difficulties by SHA to reimburse them.

Malago argued that SHA officials in Nairobi had kept shifting goal posts from one office to another when they request for reimbursement.

“Workers in my hospital cannot get their salaries because SHA has not reimbursed us for medical services we provided. I appeal they address the issues,” Malago said.

Khamala urged patients to be committed in fighting corruption in the SHA.

The MP argued that patients also participated in the fraudulent acquisition of funds from the SHA at various health facilities.

Osuri urged the Ministry of Health to urgently address the challenges for smooth health service provision.