Arise Media 
BY RITA MUTHONI
Private hospitals under the Rural and Urban Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA) in Embu County have suspended services under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Minet AON Kenya Limited (MAKL) schemes, citing persistent system failures and unpaid claims amounting to billions of money.
RUPHA issued a directive last week instructing its member hospitals to terminate SHA coverage effective February 24, citing prolonged financial strain and technical inefficiencies that have disrupted service delivery.
Focus Clinical and Diagnostic Center and Tenri hospitals in Embu Town are among the hospitals which have halted SHA coverage while continuing to provide critical medical services.
Notices have been placed at hospital receptions informing patients to seek alternative payment methods.
“Dear customer, we regret to inform you that we shall not offer services through SHA due to unpaid dues,” read a notice at the receptions of the duo facilities.
However, a spot check by Arise Media revealed that some private hospitals in Embu Town continued offering SHA services, attracting more patients who could not receive treatment at the affected facilities.
Neema Universal Healthcare Hospital was among the facilities where services were not interrupted.
A source within the hospital confirmed that they are not members of RUPHA, adding that the number of patients seeking treatment had increased significantly.
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RUPHA has accused the government of failing to clear arrears exceeding Sh30 billion owed to private hospitals.
“NHIF systems were switched off, and many hospitals cannot access their old claims history. We do not know if the claims data is safe or if it has been altered. We urge the Ministry of Health and SHA to restore access to the NHIF portal so facilities can retrieve their claims data,” said Dr. Brian Lishenga, the RUPHA CEO.
Lishenga also criticized MAKL, which covers teachers and police officers, accusing it of exploiting hospitals.
He added that, “They have been coercing hospitals to offer 15-20% discounts. As it stands, the last time MAKL paid facilities for teachers and police officers was no earlier than April 2024.”
SHA has also been criticized for operational inefficiencies, including delays in One-Time Password (OTP) verification, and prolonged system downtimes, all of which have disrupted service delivery.
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