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{
    "id": 1402961,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402961/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 229,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Control Department holds numerous title deeds for patients who are unable to meet the high medical bills and considerable number of bodies are locked at the hospital mortuary. The Hospital Budgetary Allocation for the Financial Year 2023/2024 was Ksh5.886 billion; consisting of the Government of Kenya (GoK) grant of Ksh2.986 billion and A-in-A of Ksh2.9 billion. The development budget for the hospital is Ksh350 million. The actual expenditure for PE is Ksh3.988 billion against the GoK PE allocation of Ksh2.986 billion, hence a gap of Ksh1.002 billion, which the hospital struggles to meet despite it not having the required staff establishment for optimal service delivery. In the next Financial Year 2024/2025, the hospital will requires a PE allocation of Ksh4.072 billion from the Government. In the Department of Credit Control, the hospital's Credit Control Office plays a crucial role in assisting families facing financial difficulties by offering credit payment plans. This initiative benefits both the patients and the hospital in several ways. The benefit to the patient is that elimination of unnecessary hospital stay. On the prevention of accumulating and manageable bills, and by entering into a credit payment plan, patients can manage their medical expenses over time rather than facing a large immediate financial bill. Reduced risk of hospital- acquired infections due to the shorter hospital stay will decrease the likelihood of patients contracting infections during their time in the hospital. The benefit of this payment plan to the hospital is that there is availability of hospital space after the release of patients who settle their payment arrangement. This frees up space thus allowing the hospitals to accommodate other patients. With efficient resource allocation by recovering debts through credit payment plans, the hospital can allocate its resources more effectively thus ensuring that resources are available for patients who need them. The hospital mitigates budgetary limitations by managing outstanding debts. This helps them navigate the financial constraints they are experiencing. To secure those arrangements, title deeds are used solely as collateral for the commitments made by the patients or their families. Once the debts are fully recovered according to the agreed-upon terms, the title deeds are returned to their respective owners. This practice assures the hospital that debts will be repaid while also safeguarding the patients' assets or their families. Overall, this approach demonstrates a proactive effort by the hospital to address financial challenges that are faced by patients and their families. At the same time, it also ensures efficient operations of healthcare services within the constraints of budgetary limitations. On the issue of dead bodies being locked up at the hospital mortuaries, the hospital preserves dead bodies for relatives as they make funeral arrangements. Some bodies may stay longer in the morgue due to various factors. For example, some cases may arise from court disputes, which can prolong the stay of the body in the morgue until the issue is resolved. Some of the bodies in the hospital are unclaimed. We have delays from families as they fundraise and make funeral arrangements. Some families request to be allowed time to fundraise since once a burial is done, it becomes difficult for them to mobilise funds. When a family requests a waiver of a hospital bill, they wait for the outcome of the waiver process. The process involves socio-economic analysis and, at times, it involves a home visit to enable an objective determination of the request. Part (iii) of the question is to elaborate on measures by the Ministry to ensure affordability and offering of waivers for health care services within the facility, especially given the diverse income levels of the population in Ruiru and the neighbouring constituencies that the facility serves. The Ministry of Health is currently on course in the establishment of the Social Health Authority and the seamless transition from NHIF. The Social Health Authority (SHA) will provide social health insurance to up to 85 per cent of the population in the formal and informal sectors. The Government will continue paying for the indigent and vulnerable populations. These measures will ensure that most Kenyans, including the poor and 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"
}