- SHA dismisses claims of paying KSh20M to a non-existent hospital.
- Nyandiwa Level 4 Hospital has been confirmed to be operational since the 1970s.
- Payments were for accumulated claims under the SHIF and PHC programs.
- The media faulted for showing an abandoned building not linked to SHA.
- Homa Bay Governor urges journalists to fact-check reports.
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has rejected reports that it sent KSh20 million to a ghost hospital in Homa Bay.
In a Friday statement, SHA said Nyandiwa Level 4 Hospital in Gwassi, Suba South, has been running since the 1970s. It started as a dispensary before being upgraded to a Level 4 hospital. The hospital still uses its old bank account name, a practice common in many facilities.
SHA CEO Dr. Mercy Mwangangi confirmed the payment of KSh19,998,720, saying it was part of accumulated and legitimate claims.
“The disbursement represents legitimate claims duly processed in line with SHA’s strict verification and payment protocols,” Dr. Mwangangi stated.
She added that since October 2024, the hospital has received KSh751,504 under Primary Health Care (PHC) and KSh82,080,706 through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). These cover inpatient, outpatient, maternity, dialysis, surgical, oncology, and mental health services.
SHA faulted media houses for showing pictures of an abandoned structure, clarifying it was an incomplete project left by a past county administration.
“The facility has never been contracted by SHA and does not have transacting rights,” the statement read.
SHA stressed that all its payments undergo strict verification to protect public money.
“We do not, and will never, disburse funds to ghost facilities,” the authority said.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga also weighed in, urging journalists to verify information before publishing.
She asked media houses to use SHA’s website or the Homa Bay County Health Department to confirm data, noting that all payments are made public after every disbursement.
