SHA Warns Health Facilities Over Charging Patients for PHC Drugs

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has warned health facilities against charging patients for Primary Health Care (PHC) drugs.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 20, SHA said it has noted low drug dispensing rates in some facilities.

The authority pointed out that the low dispensation rates indicate that patients are being billed for medicines that are never issued.

“SHA has noted with great concern the low drug dispensing rates, indicating that some facilities may be billing without issuing medicines,” read the statement in part.

The authority said it will not pay for such claims and will deduct the drug component from payments where fraudulent or non-compliant billing is detected.

SHA emphasized that PHC services and medicines are fully covered by the authority, and patients should not be charged in health facilities.

“SHA will not pay such claims and will deduct the drug component where applicable. All PHC services and medicines are fully covered under SHA. Patients must not be charged,” the authority added.

Further, SHA urged members of the public to report any cases of illegal charging by calling the toll-free number 147 or emailing [email protected].

The warning comes after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced a plan to set up a specialized police unit to enforce compliance in the medical sector.

Speaking on Sunday, January 18, CS Duale said the police unit will deal with cases of fraud under the SHA.

The Health CS noted that the police unit will also target quack doctors and unlicensed health facilities

"If you are a quack doctor or healthcare practitioner who is not licensed and has not gone to school like the one who mishandled our patient, I am telling them, they better look for another place where they can do quack business, in the healthcare system, it is not going to work," Duale said.

He continued, "We will crack the whip; we are planning to form an anti-fraud police Unit to deal with even fraud in SHA.”

Further, CS Duale said the Ministry of Health will introduce a new regulatory framework, known as the scope of practice, which will require medics to treat patients only within the areas they studied in school.