- A new hotline, 147, has been launched to let Kenyans report mistreatment, denial of services, and corruption in hospitals.
- The call centre is part of the wider Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and TaifaCare reforms.
- Reports will be tracked, logged, and escalated to help clean up public healthcare.
- Officials say it’s a step toward accountability, but experts warn it must be backed by strong enforcement.
The Ministry of Health has opened a national call centre where Kenyans can report any form of mistreatment or neglect in public hospitals. The hotline, 147, is already active and aims to help citizens hold the health system to account in real time.
Health CS Aden Duale, while addressing staff at the Social Health Authority offices, said the hotline was meant to make ordinary Kenyans the watchdogs of the health sector. “If someone denies you treatment, overcharges you, or mistreats you, call 147. This call centre is your voice,” he said.
Each call will be handled by trained officers and data teams who will document the complaint, follow up with the right department, and ensure action is taken. According to the Ministry, this will help stop the silence and impunity that have long defined Kenya’s public hospitals.
The move comes as frustrations mount over long lines, medicine shortages, bribery, and absentee staff in county hospitals. Many Kenyans have given up on public facilities. Officials say rebuilding trust must begin with accountability, and it starts with giving people a number to call.
The hotline is part of a bigger shift. The government wants every Kenyan to register under the new Social Health Insurance Fund using *147# or the Afya Yangu app. Once enrolled, patients will access subsidised treatment and be included in a national system tracking hospital performance.
To support this new model, the Ministry has already deployed 6,484 healthcare interns to the counties. The aim is not just better service but better monitoring. Authorities say patients will now have both human support and digital tools to demand their rights.
Even as the government promotes the hotline as a breakthrough, analysts say its success will depend on real follow-up, data privacy, and enforcement. If complaints pile up but nothing happens, the hotline could lose credibility fast.
“This is not just a number—it’s a message to the system,” Duale said. “No one should feel helpless when they walk into a hospital.” Whether the hotline delivers meaningful change, though, will depend on more than just calls—it’ll depend on what happens after you hang up.
