By Hilda Atika
Members of Parliament (MPs) serving on the National Assembly’s Health Committee have raised serious concerns with the Ministry of Health over alleged mismanagement of health services, which has led to the closure of several facilities across the country.
The committee, chaired by Seme MP Dr James Nyikal, addressed the press yesterday at St Mary’s Hospital in Mumias after an inspection tour to assess the performance of the Social Health Authority (SHA). The legislators issued recommendations on urgent areas requiring improvement.
St Mary’s Hospital was closed following a strike by healthcare workers. Despite this, the committee visited the facility to establish the reasons behind its mismanagement. Dr Nyikal confirmed that the hospital has been struggling with debts since the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA.
“They also have debts with SHA, some have been paid and others not yet. That is the main reason the number of patients has reduced,” said Dr Nyikal. He attributed the decline in patient numbers partly to the collapse of Mumias Sugar Company, which left thousands of workers unemployed and unable to afford healthcare.
The inspection revealed that the crisis extends beyond St Mary’s, with challenges reported in many other facilities. The MPs noted that SHA registration is more complicated than that of NHIF. Initially, members paid monthly contributions, but the system has now shifted to annual payments, which many Kenyans find expensive.
Dr Nyikal assured that the committee would present these challenges to the Ministry of Health with a view to finding a resolution. He added that teenage mothers face particular difficulties in SHA registration, with existing systems failing to meet their needs.
“We need to work out these operational hitches. The committee will review the health law to ensure SHA works for the people of Kenya,” he said.
The committee pledged to table a report in Parliament next week, giving the ministry one month to implement corrective measures. MPs expressed optimism that health services would improve after nationwide inspections.
Through the Ministry of Health, the committee also promised support for both SHA registration and the NHIF claims system.
Lurambi MP Bishop Titus Khamala praised faith-based health facilities for their decades of service, citing St Mary’s Hospital and St Elizabeth Mukumu as examples. “St Mary’s was the ‘Aga Khan’ of Western Kenya for the quality services it provided. SHA should not be the reason faith-based facilities collapse. These hospitals were established to serve communities, especially the vulnerable,” he said.
He warned that hospital closures represent a devastating loss to entire communities and vowed to support efforts to revive St Mary’s Hospital.
Kakamega Catholic Diocese Bishop Joseph Obanyi thanked the committee for visiting the facility amid the crisis. He said the strike by workers three months ago, caused by delayed salaries, had paralysed operations. However, following discussions with the committee, SHA has agreed to release funds for payment of salaries to enable services to resume. Bishop Obanyi added that the intervention at St Mary’s could serve as a model for other struggling facilities across the country.
