Clinix, Meridian suspended as NHIF issues new list

The two health service providers at the centre of investigations into alleged irregularities in the civil servants’ and disciplined forces’ medical cover scheme have been suspended with immediate effect.

National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) board on Friday announced the decision to suspend Clinix Healthcare Ltd and Meridian Medical centres from providing outpatient services under the scheme and advised civil servants and members of the disciplined forces to seek treatment from alternative service providers.

The board released a list of hospitals the members can choose from and also published the same on its website.

It said the action had been taken pending investigations into the controversial roll-out of the first quota of the Sh4.3 billion scheme.

Parliamentary committee on Health also investigated the irregularities and debate on the report kicked off in the House on Wednesday.

The committee chaired by Nyaribari Chache MP Robert Monda has recommended, among others, a forensic audit to ascertain whether the money so far disbursed under the scheme has been prudently used.

The MPs have also recommended that any funds found to have been paid irregularly be recovered and appropriate action taken.

The NHIF board, in their announcement, did not give the reasons for suspending the two hospitals, whose accounts were frozen last month.

In their findings, the MPs reported that NHIF paid ghost facilities a total of Sh120.5 million.

The MPs concluded that Clinix was paid Sh92.4 million for ten ghost facilities while Meridian was paid Sh28.1 million for five.

In total, Clinix was paid Sh202.1 million while Meridian received Sh116.9 million out of Sh634.7 million released in the first quota in January.

The new hospital list has also been released to all heads of human resource management departments in all ministries, departments and the Union of Kenya Civil Servants.

Civil servants will choose from the list on the NHIF website of more than 600 clinics.

They will be served by the new clinics for three months starting July to September, according to a circular released by NHIF on Thursday.

Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) Executive Secretary for Nairobi County Wilson Asingo yesterday criticized the action saying the suspended clinics were the ‘most convenient’ for Nairobi members.

“Most of the new clinics lack a wider geographical spread and thus inhibit portability and transferability of services,” says the union’s letter to NHIF’s acting Chief Executive Officer.

He claimed most of the new clinics ‘lacked the capacity to offer the services needed by members