Health CS Susan Nakhumicha has said that she had no choice but to suspend the eight NHIF branch managers who were accused of using underhand tactics to fleece Kenyans.
The CS also closed down the facilities.
Speaking on Tuesday while appearing before the NHIF board, Nakhumicha said that she had to play her part as the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
“I had to play my part. I did not want it to come to an end and be told what did you do as the Cabinet Secretary,” Nakhumicha said.
“I will stand by my decision and live from the front. I may do some mistakes but I will learn from the mistakes and move on," she added.
The CS argued that before she decided to suspend the health facilities, she requested all patients to be moved to other hospitals to allow investigations to be conducted.
“Before I took the decision that I made, I had an early morning meeting with my chair of NHIF, with the CEO of KMPDC and we discussed the ways out of this matter,” Nakhumicha said.
“We did not just suspend the facilities. I gave them 24 hours to vacate patients because I knew there was an impact. Within 24 hours, they ought to have vacated patients to other hospitals.”
She said such decisions did not have to be delayed for the safety of all Kenyans.
“There is a problem and we can only solve this problem together with you members. I am seeking your support and you be with me on this one. Unfortunately, there are going to be causalities but peace be with me,” Nakhumicha said.
“If you are really intentional about us cleaning health in this country, we must work together and there is no way out of it.”
She added that the health sector has a big problem since most of the small facilities are doing most of the work that the bigger hospitals do.
“We have a big problem and one member said that how is it that over 60 per cent of payments from NHIF goes to private facilities. And in all honesty and I am yet to be convinced that you will have a small private facility doing most surgeries than Kenyatta, Moi,” Nakhumicha said.
“All these public facilities combined and we have some small health facilities doing the most.”
