Former Public Service CS Moses Kuria has flagged Mukurweini Level 4 Hospital in Nyeri County for defrauding Kenyans.
In an effort to expose hospitals he termed as ‘rogue’, Kuria flagged the facility for demanding cash from patients who have registered for the Taifa Care initiative by President William Ruto.
The State Economic Advisor instructed patients not to pay cash but instead report such cases to police.
“ROGUE HOSPITALS ALERT Mukurweini Level 4 Hospital, Nyeri County corruptly demanding cash from Taifa Care Patients. Patients are advised NOT to pay and report in the nearest police station,” Kuria noted in a post on X on Friday.
Patients have raised concerns about difficulties in accessing medical services, with the Social Health Authorities (SHA) disclosing that patients are sometimes required to pay cash to receive care.
According to the Ministry of Health, hospitals registered under SHA are prohibited from asking patients for cash payments. However, hospitals have reported that Taifa Care is experiencing financial challenges, limiting its ability to fully facilitate medical services for patients.
Speaking on Thursday while in Mombasa, Kuria said the government has released necessary funds to ensure all patients registered under the Taifa Care receive the medical attention they need.
“As a government, we have put across strategies to ensure that the Taifa Care works effectively. We must ensure that Taifa Care is successful for the good of the nation,” Kuria said while speaking to Hospital Managers and Community Health Promoters in Mombasa County.
He stressed that the move is to ensure that no Kenyan registered under Taifa Care is turned away from hospitals without receiving the required medical care.
As of November 2024, over 15 million Kenyans had registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Lamu, Kiambu, and Bomet are among the top five counties with the most registrations, while Turkana, Garissa, Mandera, West Pokot, and Marsabit have the lowest registration numbers.
To ensure that more Kenyans register, the government has rolled out other strategies like door-to-door registration and setting up registrations booths at Huduma Centres.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE