Medanta AfriCare Hospital management has denied claims of engaging in medical malpractice. They said they have not been using its doctors to refer patients to India for a Sh200,000 kickbacks per patient. The hospital’s CEO Anil Maini with his team of directors yesterday told the National Assembly Health Committee they only refer patients to India or abroad upon the patient’s “wish”.
Maini said his hospital, subscribed to the National Health Insurance Fund, does not participate in unlawful practices of fleecing the NHIF and taxpayers money by referring patients abroad, saying most of them foot their travel and treatment expenses.
The management revealed that most patients referred abroad usually require critical treatment such as second kidney transplant. He also denied claims the facilityonly aims at making profit. “No money is given to any doctor to send patients to India. It is also incorrect that our doctors are not qualified. All have certificates of qualification,” said Maini.
He accused 10 former employees of the 17 petitioners raising the allegations against his hospital of doing so out of malice. Maini said two petitioners, among former employees, are making the allegations to revenge after they were prosecuted for stealing more than Sh3 million from the hospital. The case is still going on.
He also denied claims most foreign doctors, especially Indians at the facility, have invalid work permits, since they are normally cleared by the Kenyan immigration department.
The committee’s chairperson Rachael Nyamae asked the management to provide detailed submissions on patients referred abroad to ascertain whether they could have been treated locally.