Private Hospitals Suspend Medical Services Amid SHA Crisis

By Faith Nyabuto

The ongoing crisis at the Social Health Authority (SHA) has triggered a standoff with private hospitals, many of which are threatening to withdraw services, leaving Kenyans struggling to access medical care.

Reports indicate that some hospitals are demanding cash payments from patients and rejecting insurance cover.

Dr. Brian Lishenga, Chairperson of the Rural Urban Private Hospitals Association, revealed that nearly 1,000 private hospitals have either shut down or been sold due to mismanagement of funds.

“The closures have caused massive job losses and left suppliers unable to service bank loans since payments were delayed,” Dr. Lishenga said.

He added that Kenyans are now paying much higher rates than they did under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

“The state has a wrong financial model which has increased unemployment. This must be sorted out,” he said, calling for accountability from the Ministry of Health and SHA.

He urged Parliament to interrogate the laws governing SHA and proposed a tax-based system to fund healthcare for the poor and vulnerable.

Advocate Duncan Okach echoed the concerns, saying private hospitals are owed huge arrears, limiting their ability to offer quality services.

He urged the government to identify struggling hospitals and reassure Kenyans that SHA is functional.

Nambale MP Geoffrey Mulanya supported the Health Cabinet Secretary’s report on malpractice within private healthcare providers, saying it had contributed to high debts.

He condemned the use of fake bills by rogue hospitals but urged private sector players not to blame the government for disbursement delays.

Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto acknowledged SHA’s troubled rollout, citing registration challenges and payment delays.

“Health facilities that had huge claims have not been compensated. The government must settle pending bills,” Wandeto said.

He further warned that the manual verification of records at SHA was worsening the crisis.

“The problem facing SHA is record verification. The system must embrace equality by releasing funds directly to medical facilities,” he said.