The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has recovered Sh963,000 from Jekim Hospital in Meru following a NHIF medical fraud unveiled a month ago.
According to NHIF Acting CEO Samson Kuhora, Jekim Hospital is one of the six facilities that were temporarily closed following the revelation.
Jekim Hospital had been suspended for 90 days but upon further investigation, the hospital’s suspension could go up to five years
“We have suspended Jekim Hospital and recovered Sh963,000. As of now, the hospital has been suspended for 90 days but upon further investigations, the suspension can be up to five years,” Kuhora said while appearing before the National Assembly Health Committee on Monday.
Other hospitals affected by the suspension include Afya Bora Hospital, Afya Bora Hospital Annex, Jekims medical center, Joy Nursing and Maternity Eastleigh, and St. Peter’s Orthopaedics and Surgical Specialty.
The NHIF scandal was unveiled after Mr Salesio Mutuma a human rights activist blew the whistle on the scandal.
Mutuma, a resident of Meru county, recently exposed how several vulnerable patients, who are subscribed to NHIF, lost hundreds of thousands of shillings siphoned by cartels who work in cahoots with private hospitals through unscrupulous deals which include inflation of medical bills.
He further unveiled how people who pretended to be medical professionals sold hope to the villagers by promising to save them from a variety of medical problems in an effort to steal money from the insurance fund.
