Health Secretary suspends NHIF decision to limit outpatient visits

HEALTH SECRETARY CLEOPA MAILU. FILE PHOTO | NMG  

By STELLAR MURUMBA

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Summary

• Health secretary Cleopa Mailu has suspended with immediate effect the directive by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to limit the outpatient visits to only four per year until further notice.
• Dr Mailu who was away from Nairobi said he would issue a full statement soon after consultations on how NHIF arrived at the decision.

Health secretary Cleopa Mailu has suspended with immediate effect the directive by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to limit the outpatient visits to only four per year.

Dr Mailu who was away from Nairobi said he would issue a full statement soon after consultations on how NHIF arrived at the decision.

“This is until further consultations are held between the NHIF board and other stakeholders,” Dr Mailu said in a statement.

“Meanwhile patients should continue with the services as it has been the case before. A full statement will be issued soon," he said.

The decision to suspend the directive comes a day after the NHIF chief executive Geoffrey Mwangi announced the new outpatient package that was going to limit lower contributors to only four outpatient visits per year.

Dr Mailu said he has suspended the implementation following a public outcry.

A section of Kenyans on social media Friday termed the decision as discriminative and unfair especially for low income earners. A petition was also started by medical practitioners to force the national insurer to withdraw the controversial directive.