NAIROBI, Kenya Sept 10 – Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki has raised alarm over doctors neglecting county hospitals and diverting patients to their private clinics.
Njuki, also CoG health chair, said some doctors use public facilities to build patient lists, then charge them twice by moving them between county and private hospitals.
In a surprise visit to Chuka Level 5 Hospital, he found doctors absent and warned of disciplinary action. He ordered a circular to hold doctors accountable and urged patients to report diversion cases anonymously.
He said heavy investment has been made in healthcare and warned exploiting patients will not be tolerated. He also urged the doctors’ union to act quickly.
“It is emerging that there are doctors who are shuttling patients between county facilities and their private facilities and, at times, charge them twice, as they seek to maximise on profit or expecting payments from the Social Health Authority (SHA),” he said.
Governor Njuki has now put all doctors in the county on notice, demanding that a circular from the county CECM be released warning doctors on duty at particular times of consequences if they are not at work when they are supposed to be at work.
Consequently, the county head has called for the setting up of a feedback mechanism that will allow patients to anonymously report cases where they are referred to private clinics and find the same doctors who were treating them at the county’s facilities
Governor Njuki notes that there has been tremendous investment in the health sector from both the national and county governments, and thus, it would be a travesty that some doctors would take advantage of patients
The CoG Health Committee chairperson has also called on the doctors union to expeditiously address the matter, noting that counties would not hesitate to take stern action against any doctor who would violate its protocols
