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{
"id": 1402951,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402951/?format=api",
"text_counter": 219,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Hon. Cabinet Secretary."
},
{
"id": 1402952,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402952/?format=api",
"text_counter": 220,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members. Let me start with the question that has been raised by Hon. Kibagendi, regarding the payment of NHIF claims. Indeed, there has been a delay in the payment of claims due to delays in exchequer release. As we speak now, NHIF owes service providers close to Ksh30 billion. Of this Ksh30 billion, Ksh22 billion is owed to NHIF by Government and other Government entities. This week, we had a meeting with the National Treasury and yesterday, the Principal Secretary for Medical Services received a confirmation from the National Treasury of a release of Ksh5.5 billion for payment of claims. We are expecting that once the money hits the account this week, payment of the claims by NHIF need to proceed as from next week. I also want to clarify that payment of claims is an ongoing exercise. Last year alone, NHIF paid out a total of Ksh36 billion. So as claims continue to be verified and reconciled, they get paid as and when exchequer releases are available. Hon. (Dr) Nyikal raised the issue of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). It is an agreement between an employer and an employee. Medical cover is provided by the employer to an employee. As the national Government, we can only take responsibility for the employees that belong to the national Government. CBA is not a policy issue. It is what is signed and agreed between the parties. At the Ministry, we continue to play our responsibility in the development of policies, and that is why at the moment we are working on the internship policy."
},
{
"id": 1402953,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402953/?format=api",
"text_counter": 221,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Regarding Edu Afya, that scheme lapsed in December. Before lapsing, the Ministry of Health wrote to the Ministry of Education informing them of the end of Edu Afya. We expected that then the Minister of Education would write back and ask the Ministry of Health to extend that, but that was not done. We did not receive a request for extension. However, I would like The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1402954,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402954/?format=api",
"text_counter": 222,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "to confirm that under the new Social Health Authority, we now have a cover for all Kenyans and this has expanded benefits package that besides Edu Afya that was covering a student, the Social Health Authority Act now ensures that there is a cover for all members of the family that includes mama, the children in school, and the mzee who may not be at school. We now have an expanded benefits package to cover all the members of the family. Hon. Speaker, on the issue of the rate of death in the facilities occasioned by this crisis, the Ministry has a tool on a daily basis that we get to receive what is happening in our health facilities. From the national level, the rate of death has gone down. As a Ministry, we know it is because people have not been coming to hospital. So, we want to go further and drill and see what is happening within the communities. Once we get to that point, then we shall conclusively say the rate of death based on the crisis? On the Question raised by Hon. Tonkei regarding the policy, that there is a discrimination, I would like to affirm that the policy is still under development. We have only done internal stakeholder validation and have an opportunity for external stakeholder validation. During such a process, comments, reviews and suggestions are received from several stakeholders. I want to believe that if that came through from the stakeholders, then it will be subjected to the process and the document that we will end up with as the policy will be one that speaks to the needs of majority of Kenyans. On the issue of missionary doctors, the permits are issued by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. I would not want to comment on it. As for us, we wait until they have been issued permits, and then the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) issues licenses for their practice. However, that is an issue that has been raised by the faith-based organizations and has already been given to the attention of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to look at and see how they can rationalize. I want to agree with the Hon. Member that, indeed, the faith-based facilities are playing a critical role during this crisis. Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Members."
},
{
"id": 1402955,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402955/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Will end there on this Question and go to the next one. On the next ones, I will allow the Questioner and one joyrider so that we can make progress. Member for Ruiru, Hon. Simon King’ara, Question 020/2024."
},
{
"id": 1402956,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402956/?format=api",
"text_counter": 224,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Question 020/2024"
},
{
"id": 1402957,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402957/?format=api",
"text_counter": 225,
"type": "heading",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "HIGH DEPOSIT REQUIREMENT FOR PATIENTS BEFORE TREATMENT AT KUTRRH"
},
{
"id": 1402958,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402958/?format=api",
"text_counter": 226,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ruiru, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Simon King’ara",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for granting me this opportunity. I beg to ask to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health the following Question: Could the Cabinet Secretary— (a) Clarify whether the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH) imposes high deposits before attending to patients and that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cover caters for very minimal amounts as compared to other facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Kiambu Level 5 Hospital? (b) Provide details on the budgetary allocation provided to the Hospital in the Financial Year 2023/2024, and further confirm that the credit control department holds numerous title deeds for patients who are unable to meet The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1402959,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402959/?format=api",
"text_counter": 227,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ruiru, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Simon King’ara",
"speaker": null,
"content": "the high medical bills and considerable number of bodies are locked at the hospital’s mortuary? (c) Elaborate on measures by the Ministry to ensure affordability including offering of waivers for healthcare services within the facility, especially given the diverse income levels of the population in Ruiru and neighbouring constituencies that the facility serves? Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1402960,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402960/?format=api",
"text_counter": 228,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Members. We need to clarify whether KUTRRH imposes high deposits before attending to patients and that the NHIF cover caters for very minimal amounts as compared to other facilities such as KNH and Kiambu Level 5 Hospital. KUTRRH does not impose high deposits before attending to patients. The hospital attends to all patients who come either through referral, specialized clinics, Outpatient Department (OPD) or the Accident and Emergency Department. The patients who come to this hospital are in most cases seeking highly specialized care since it is a referral hospital. At the Accident and Emergency Department, patients are normally stabilised even before they are asked to pay the consultant fee. At the OPD and specialised clinics, patients pay a minimal consultancy fee as prescribed by the consultants. Deposits are only asked for where the consultant determines that the patient needs admission for continuation of care as explained here after. The hospital admits patients through the referral, specialist clinic or on an emergency basis. The Hospital Admission Policy and Procedures (Section s 7.2.3 and 7.2.4) and the Hospital Referral Policy (Section 6.1.16 i.) are both informed and aligned to Article 43(2) of the Constitution which states that: ‘No person shall be denied emergency medical treatment.’ The Admission Policy and Procedure Section 7.2.3 states that: ‘KUTRRH will ensure that no patient shall be denied admission due to race, colour, religion, ancestry, financial class, nationality or any other form of discrimination.’ In the same policy, in cases of emergency, there will be no financial obligation. The Referral Policy 6.1.14 (i) states that: ‘All emergency referrals to be accepted without fail and unnecessary ‘‘shunting’’ of patients should be avoided.’ They will be given priority on arrival. On waived hospital bills, the hospital does not deny care to any patient who requires emergency care or admission on the basis of a deposit, despite the fact that the deposit is part of the overall cost of care. Majority of those patients get admitted without the deposit, but with a promise to pay upon discharge. However, some do not honour their promise because they are genuinely unable to cater for their treatment costs fully. Others are only able to pay partially for the services rendered. As a result, the hospital has unpaid bills of Ksh403,587,763 since the hospital began four years ago, and this has been requested in the budget for reimbursement. Regarding the NHIF cover, the hospital has a hybrid model that has both comprehensive and non-comprehensive covers. Patients admitted under the comprehensive cover do not top up for the cost of their care, including all required pharmaceuticals, diagnostic services, surgery and medication. For example, for all patients under the NHIF scheme access surgery purely under the comprehensive cover. Under NHIF non-comprehensive cover, patients co-pay as outlined in the contract for different services. This arrangement is actually the same with that of KNH. Patients at KUTRRH have access to a whole continuum of care with a rare need to access services like imaging, special laboratory works and specialized consultancy outside the hospital. This is unlike the lower-level hospitals where patients have to buy some items or seek services outside the facility, which translates to huge out-of-pocket costs despite the NHIF cover. Part two of the Question states that we provide details on the budgetary allocation that is provided to the hospital in the Financial Year 2023/2024, and further confirm that the Credit The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}
]
}