The Ministry of Health has cautioned that private hospitals that refuse to provide health services will be shut down.
Health Principal Secretary (PS) Harry Kimtai expressed concern on March 17 2025, during the launching and presentation of a digitization device in Embu County over the reluctance of private healthcare providers to offer outpatient services under the new healthcare model.
“From the statistics and data we have seen, we have realized that most of the private facilities are not participating in outpatient services, which is primary healthcare funding,” the PS said.
He added that non-compliant facilities could face serious consequences such as denial of registration and a possible shutdown.
According to Kimtai, private hospitals have been provided with sufficient data in a bid to understand the reluctance of private hospitals and establish whether the issue stemmed from a lack of comprehension of the new model.
“Private hospitals in Kenya are mandated to deliver outpatient services by the Social Health Authority (SHA) regulations, which outline specific guidelines for service provision. We have shown them the statistics and we will get to know why they are not participating. Is it because they don’t understand the model?”
Kimtai therefore warned that if private hospitals continue to be non-compliant towards providing services to Kenyans, they will have to close ‘shops’ because they also subject to license renewal.
