Revealed: Thousands of Kenyans being denied essential medicines in public hospitals

The Ministry of Health has revealed that thousands of Kenyan patients are being denied essential medicines in public hospitals, raising concerns over patient welfare and systemic corruption.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told the National Assembly’s health committee that while thousands of patients access services in referral hospitals, only a small fraction actually receive prescribed drugs.

“Since the Social Health Authority (SHA) was established, we have observed that many patients are not receiving medicines from public hospitals,” Duale said. “For example, in referral hospitals such as Kakamega and Bomet, over 52,000 patients have been digitally registered, yet only 9,000 received drugs. This is deeply concerning.”

Duale further highlighted the prevalence of private chemists surrounding public hospitals. “Take Kisii Hospital, for instance—the entire hospital is surrounded by chemists. This trend is repeated in Nyeri, Garissa, and other counties. Often, these pharmacies are owned by hospital staff, who direct patients to purchase medicines privately,” he said.

To address the issue, Duale said measures are being implemented to ensure patients receive prescribed medicines. The SHA has adopted a policy that hospitals will not be reimbursed for drugs that are not dispensed to patients. “If you are a member of the Social Health Insurance Fund and are denied medicine, SHA will not pay those claims. They will pay for services rendered, but not for drugs that were not dispensed,” he explained.

Duale also challenged referral hospitals to strengthen their revenue streams by tackling corruption and improving governance. “Hospitals should be able to finance their activities. By implementing these strategies, rooting out corruption, and improving management, we are moving in the right direction,” he said.