KU asked to develop patients' waiver policy, committee recommends

The Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital. [Courtesy]

A parliamentary committee has called for the establishment of a policy to waive patients’ bills in medical facilities, complete with a vetting committee.

This is after the committee noted unsupported waivers of patient bills at the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) running into millions of shillings without supporting documents.

This is in accordance with a report tabled in the National Assembly by the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture (PICSSAA) laid in the National Assembly, covering six State Corporations, including the KU hospital.

The committee Chairman, Emmanuel Wangwe, said that in the Financial Year 2024/2025, KUTRRH encountered unsupported waivers of patient bills.

“The Committee observed that the hospital granted waivers to patients amounting to Sh139.2 without any supporting documents. The waivers had accumulated to the tune of Sh669.7 million. The Committee observed that the hospital granted waivers to patients amounting to Sh139.2 million without any supporting documents,” Wangwe said.

Although he said that it is within the mandate of a medical facility to waive patients’ bills since not all Kenyans can pay, he said it should be done within the provisions of the regulations and with the necessary approvals of the Board and the organisation, especially at KUTRRH.

“We felt that within three months upon adoption of this report, the accounting officer, together with the board, should develop and approve a waiver policy. The policy should outline the conditions necessary for granting such waivers, who is eligible, the process for identifying and assessing needy cases, the required documentation, and the final report by the vetting committee established under the policy. This report should be submitted to the National Assembly,” Wangwe said as he tabled the report.

According to the committee, the existence of such a policy is critical and they felt that it was not good enough to just waive a figure.

“What happens to the difference? Out of Sh669 million, only Sh139 million was waived. What happens to the balance? Because of the lack of a policy to guide the hospital on how and to whom waivers should be granted, it becomes difficult. It also makes it difficult for the managing director or the Director General to run the organisation, especially an institution of such public interest and importance,” he said.

The committee also tabled a report for Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), which had outstanding receivables amounting to Sh78.6 million relating to uncollected rent.

Wangwe said that medical trainees from the University of Nairobi were allocated houses owned by KMTC under arrangements involving Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

However, the rent has not been remitted to KMTC despite the properties belonging to the institution.

Although there have been numerous engagements involving the Ministry, KMTC and the University of Nairobi, an amount of Sh78.6 million remains unpaid.

“The Committee recommended that this money be paid to KMTC. The University of Nairobi is taking advantage of the Government's policy of not engaging in legal battles between government institutions. However, that should not be the case. Where a debt is due, we urge the University of Nairobi to remit the outstanding amount,” he read.

Also, as the committee interrogated other agencies, Wangwe said one of the issues that became clear was the lack of ownership documents for land and buildings.

For instance, he said that the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) did not have the title deed to the land on which the Modika Radio Monitoring Station is located in Garissa County.

Similarly, the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) had only partial ownership documents and, in some cases, had no ownership documents for 18 parcels of land.

On monies owed to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), the committee stated that it is owed Sh2.8 billion by county governments and the Ministry of Health as at June 30, 2020.

“We all know that KEMSA does not trade in medical supplies. Instead, it is a logistics organisation responsible for handling and the distribution of medical commodities. It is therefore important that users, namely the Ministry of Health and county governments, settle their outstanding obligations,” Wangwe stated.