KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 2 — Kisumu’s Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) has urged non-surgical patients to consider visiting primary health facilities as it navigates the transition to claims under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
JOOTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Lesiyampe said the county-run facilities was experiencing challenges discharging non-surgical patients following the transition from NHIF to SHA.
He however stated that the facility had opted to discharge affected patiesnt hoping that SHA would take up the bills.
“We are not experiencing challenges in terms of surgical patients but where we had a small challenge is on the medical patients,” Lesiyampe said.
The decsion is part of an intervention by the facility not to detain patients previously covered under NHIF even as it seeks clarity from the Ministry of Health.
Lesiyampe noted the facility had released medical patients numbering over 50 within twenty-four hours.
“We are releasing them with the hope that when the system comes to full operation, then they can come back so that we discharge them officially in the system,” he said.
Speaking to the press at the referral facility in Kisumu on Tuesday, the CEO said the facility will in the meamtime continue to offer medical services to primary health care patients even as he asked patients to consider visting primary health facilities.
“Majority of them started to register with SHA and we are requesting them not to come to the referral facility but seek help at the primary level,” he said.
