The Social Health Authority says private hospitals need to fix their mistakes. Mr. Robert Ingasira from SHA believes these hospitals ask for the wrong amounts of money. He said the hospitals do not know how to use the payment system properly. SHA wants to teach the hospitals how to send correct payment forms.
People in Kenya pay part of their money to SHA. Then, SHA tells hospitals to help sick people without asking for money right away. The hospitals ask SHA for money later. SHA should pay them after 90 days. Many private hospitals stopped helping SHA patients because they did not receive their money. These sick people must pay with cash.
About 500 private hospitals belong to the Rupha group. Mr. Ingasira told sick people they can visit 8,600 other places for help. People can find these places on the SHA website or at Huduma Centers. SHA talked with the hospital bosses on Monday, but they did not solve their problems.
Dr. Brian Lishenga from Rupha said the new health system makes life hard for patients. The computer system often breaks down. The hospitals cannot check if SHA will pay them. These problems became worse last month. Dr. Lishenga wants the government to pay 30 billion shillings they owe from past years. Many hospitals cannot pay their bank loans. They have no medicines left. Many doctors have not received money for years.
Mr. Ingasira said the unpaid money equals less than 9 billion shillings. He said the government already paid 10 billion out of 19 billion shillings they owed. SHA works with hospitals to check old payment records. Hospitals must show proof of what they did before they can receive money.
Rupha wants SHA to change how it pays sick people who do not stay overnight. They also want fair payments for police officers and teachers who need medical care. Dr. Lishenga said more than half of hospitals never received any SHA money. Almost all hospitals had problems with the SHA computer system. Most hospitals find it hard to check if patients can use SHA because the system often fails.
People in Kenya pay part of their money to SHA. Then, SHA tells hospitals to help sick people without asking for money right away. The hospitals ask SHA for money later. SHA should pay them after 90 days. Many private hospitals stopped helping SHA patients because they did not receive their money. These sick people must pay with cash.
About 500 private hospitals belong to the Rupha group. Mr. Ingasira told sick people they can visit 8,600 other places for help. People can find these places on the SHA website or at Huduma Centers. SHA talked with the hospital bosses on Monday, but they did not solve their problems.
Dr. Brian Lishenga from Rupha said the new health system makes life hard for patients. The computer system often breaks down. The hospitals cannot check if SHA will pay them. These problems became worse last month. Dr. Lishenga wants the government to pay 30 billion shillings they owe from past years. Many hospitals cannot pay their bank loans. They have no medicines left. Many doctors have not received money for years.
Mr. Ingasira said the unpaid money equals less than 9 billion shillings. He said the government already paid 10 billion out of 19 billion shillings they owed. SHA works with hospitals to check old payment records. Hospitals must show proof of what they did before they can receive money.
Rupha wants SHA to change how it pays sick people who do not stay overnight. They also want fair payments for police officers and teachers who need medical care. Dr. Lishenga said more than half of hospitals never received any SHA money. Almost all hospitals had problems with the SHA computer system. Most hospitals find it hard to check if patients can use SHA because the system often fails.
