Keep hospitals open, punish offenders, Nyikal tells Health Ministry

Seme Member of Parliament Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal has cautioned the Ministry of Health and Social Health Authority (SHA) against shutting down health facilities over administrative or management lapses, warning that such actions punish patients instead of those responsible.

Dr. Nyikal, who chairs the National Assembly Committee on Health, said the government should focus on holding individuals accountable for wrongdoing rather than closing hospitals that serve thousands of Kenyans.

“It is better to identify where the faults lie and take action against those responsible, rather than shutting down facilities. When a hospital is closed, it is not the culprits who suffer but the patients who need services. Our position is clear: deal firmly with those who cause problems, but keep the facilities open and serving the people,” Nyikal said.

He spoke during a fact-finding visit to St. Mary's Mission Hospital in Mumias, Kakamega County, where he and other committee members assessed the operations and uptake of the Social Health Authority (SHA), which manages three funds aimed at transforming healthcare delivery in the country.

These funds are the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHF), the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), and the Emergency, Chronic & Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF).

The Seme legislator noted that the ongoing challenges with the new Social Health Authority (SHA) system have left many institutions, including faith-based hospitals, grappling with delayed claims and operational disruptions.

He argued that while reforms in the health sector are necessary, they must not come at the expense of access to care.

Nyikal, a former Director of Medical Services, emphasised that facilities, whether public, private, or faith-based, are crucial in delivering healthcare to Kenyans and must remain functional at all times.

He called on the Ministry to urgently address the teething problems within SHA to restore confidence among providers and patients.

“If there is a problem of corruption in this country, it is widespread. Patients, caretakers, and officers alike can be involved in fraudulent activities. Therefore, if the minister has identified individuals who have crowded the system, it is commendable that action is being taken against them, especially as their names have already been submitted to the DCI,” he stated.

He added:

“We would say that the first step should be to deal with the people who are actually culpable and get hospitals functioning properly, because if this is not done, the public will continue to suffer,”

He expressed concern that some health facilities are facing challenges, with some having to shut their doors due to non-reimbursement, others on the verge of collapse, and some struggling financially to provide services to patients.

He cited St. Mary's Mission Hospital in Mumias, Kakamega County, which, according to him, is currently closed not because of any wrongdoing, but due to changes in the systems.

“This health facility was not implicated in any fraud, yet the new systems have disrupted its operations. Our message is clear: let the minister continue his hard work to restore functionality and ensure that those involved in wrongdoing face the law,” he emphasized.

Lurambi MP Hon. Titus Khamala, who is a member of the committee urged the State Health Authority (SHA) to protect and support faith-based health facilities, emphasizing their critical role in serving communities.

“This is my clarion call: the SHA should be the one killing faith-based health facilities. These facilities were there and they were working well,” Khamala said.

He stressed that as lawmakers engage and visit various health facilities nationwide, it is crucial to ensure that the SHA works for public, private, and faith-based institutions alike.

According to the MP, faith-based facilities were established as not-for-profit institutions to support communities, particularly the most vulnerable.

“When such a hospital shuts down, it represents a significant loss to both the community and society as a whole,” he added.

Khamala also criticised the manner in which the old National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) system was phased out, leaving hospitals stranded with unpaid arrears and no clear points of contact.

They likened SHA to “a new wife in the home” whose behaviour still needs to be understood, warning that overreliance on automated systems without human support was locking out patients.

“When you look at SHA, it is a new system…like a new wife in a home; you have to learn its character,”  Khamala said.

He emphasised that the automated processes have left several facilities “stranded,” with staff unsure whom to contact after former NHIF offices were closed.

The MP cautioned that relying solely on automated methods without functional support officers risks leaving patients and facilities at a dead end.

“Are we yet at a stage where you speak to a computer, it says no, and you have nobody else to talk to?” he asked.

Khamala called for a review of the system to ensure it serves health facilities effectively, stressing the need for accessible human support alongside automation.