Suspended –Atleast eight National Hospital Insurance Fund NHIF managers countrywide have been suspended over graft today.
On Monday, June 19, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha suspended the eight branch managers who she believed have been deplying underhand dirty ways of stealing membership premiums.
In her Monday June 19 noon statement, the CS divulged worrying details on how cartels had for along time been colluding with branch mangers to fleece unsuspecting members of the public.
She recommended the Ethics body to swing into action and find out more on the fraud which she described as high-caliber network.
She added that, any staff who has been part of the cartels should be punished for going against the required tenets of labour law.
“I wish to express my disappointment at my ministry’s staff who participated in this callous syndicate. I met with the NHIF board chair and instructed him to commence investigations, including inviting the whistleblower to share details regarding this heartless and ruthless cartel.
“I also asked the board to take action against culpable staff and directed a preliminary report be shared by the NHIF board within 48 hours,” Ms Nakhumicha ordered.
In addition to the above directives, Nakhumicha asked the Health Ministry department in charge of relations to act swiftly and issue a substantive report from every region.
“In my last message, I reiterated that hospitals should reopen while pending payments, but some facility owners used the opportunity to fleece Kenyans. Beyond verifying current outstanding payments, we are embarking on a verification exercise of all payments to flag any inconsistencies,” she indicated.
The CS listed eight hospitals accused of frustrating patients in the NHIF scandal. These are – Jekim Medical Centre in Meru Central, St Peters Orthopaedic and Surgical Hospital in Kiambu County, Afya Bora Hospital in Mwea, Kirinyaga, Joy Nursing and Maternity Hospital in Malewa Street, Kamukunji, and Afya Bora Hospital Annex in Wanguru in Mwea
Also on her list included; Jekim Hospital in Nkupu Imenti South, Meru Beirut Pharmacy and Medical Centre, and Amal Hospital Limited in Nairobi.
In her summery, she ordered that the above facilities immediately transfer their in-patients to other hospitals and evacuate within 24 hours.
