Nakhumicha in fight against corruption: I won't act in fear

Health CS Susan Nakhumicha on Friday said she will not relent in her effort to ensure reforms at the National Health Insurance Fund.

This comes amid the ongoing investigations into the allegations of fraud by a section of private health facilities through fraudulent medical claims.

“The prayer of many Kenyans is to see change. As a minister, I am not going to fear to act, neither am I going to act in fear, I will do what I can do within the time that I will be serving as a Minister for Health,” she said.

She noted the ongoing reforms from NHIF to a social health insurance fund will ensure Kenyans get value for their money.

“As we reform NHIF we want to have a new vehicle; a social health insurance that takes care of Kenyans needs, that should a patient choose to walk to Coptic hospital, Coptic will have its bill paid by a new social health insurance scheme,” she said.

On Monday, the CS cracked a whip on some of the branch managers at the fund, suspending eight after the fraud allegations. 

She further suspended six private health facilities implicated in an expose for allegedly defrauding the fund through falsified claims for 90 days pending investigations.

The NHIF acting CEO Samson Kuhora said patients who were receiving outpatient treatment at the affected facilities had been notified to select alternative healthcare providers from the list of NHIF contracted facilities.