Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has warned that private clinics operating in residential estates will shut down once the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA) takes full effect.
Speaking at a past event, Duale stated that SHA would eliminate fraudulent healthcare providers who had been benefiting from loopholes in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
He attributed the survival of many hospitals and clinics to what he described as widespread fraud under NHIF, arguing that the transition to SHA would expose the malpractices.
"I'm telling you; mark my words today, the day the Social Health Authority (SHA) takes root, 60% of the many clinics you see in the estates will close. Most hospitals that you thought were doing good work were open because of the fraud that was taking place in NHIF," he said.
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This comes about two weeks after outgoing State Department for Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai issued a warning to private hospitals boycotting SHA.
Speaking on Monday, March 17, Kimtai said by withholding services, private healthcare providers are blackmailing both the government and citizens.
He stated that hospitals failing to comply with the constitutional mandate to provide healthcare services risk license renewal challenges.
“They should not blackmail the government; they should not blackmail citizens by stopping offering services. If they continue like this, it is obvious; that they are also subject to renewal of licenses.
"If you are not compliant, we will say, 'if you don't want to offer services in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya, then close shop - that is not the right business you are supposed to do," he said.
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