Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria has made an urgent appeal to the government to disburse funds owed to hospitals under the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and its successor, the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking at Consolata Mathari Hospital during the opening of a newly refurbished outpatient department and maternity theater, Archbishop Muheria expressed concern over delayed reimbursements, which he said have crippled healthcare services in faith-based hospitals across the country. "Despite our tremendous efforts to improve healthcare service delivery, we continue to face constraints due to unpaid reimbursements from NHIF and SHA," he said.
Muheria revealed that Consolata Mathari Hospital alone is owed Ksh 250 million in unpaid reimbursements, an amount that has accumulated over the last four years.
He added that catholic faith-based hospitals nationwide are owed approximately Ksh 2.5 billion, severely affecting their ability to provide quality healthcare services. "A staggering debt of Ksh 250 million is enough to cripple any institution, yet despite this immense financial strain, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to providing essential healthcare services.