The Social Health Authority (SHA) has addressed claims suggesting that it disbursed nearly Sh20 million to a non-existent health facility. The authority clarified that the payments were made legitimately to Nyandiwa Level Four Hospital in Gwassi, Suba South, Homa Bay County.
The hospital, which has been operational since the 1970s, was originally established as Nyandiwa Dispensary before being upgraded to a Level Four facility. Despite the upgrade, the hospital retained the account name “Nyandiwa Dispensary,” which may have led to confusion.
SHA explained that the disbursement of Sh19,998,720 represented legitimate and accumulated claims that were processed in line with strict verification and payment protocols. The misunderstanding was compounded by the existence of a different Nyandiwa Dispensary in Kasipul constituency, which has no contract with SHA and never had one with the now-defunct NHIF.
The authority also dismissed photos shared in the media of an abandoned building claimed to be the facility in question. SHA clarified that the structure shown was never contracted by the authority and does not represent Nyandiwa Level Four Hospital.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency and accountability, SHA emphasized that it does not disburse funds to ghost or uncontracted facilities. All payments undergo a rigorous verification process designed to safeguard public resources and ensure they strengthen health service delivery.
SHA further urged the media to conduct thorough fact-checking and exercise due diligence before publishing reports on sensitive issues such as health financing. The authority stressed that public communication around these reforms must be accurate, as they are central to the country’s journey toward universal health coverage.
To date, Nyandiwa Level Four Hospital has received Sh751,504 under the Primary Health Care Fund (PHC) and Sh82,080,706 under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) since October 2024. These payments have been acknowledged by the facility.
SHA also clarified that facility payments are posted on its website after each disbursement. The payments reflect multiple benefit packages, including inpatient, outpatient, maternity, surgical, dialysis, oncology, rehabilitation, mental wellness, and imaging services. Additional disbursements under various packages were scheduled for release by the end of the week.
