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Duale orders public hospitals to stop bed-sharing practice
08th July, 2025 05:22 PM
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed all public hospitals to immediately stop the practice of bed-sharing, terming it a violation of patient dignity and a loophole for insurance abuse.
The directive was issued on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, during a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) consultative session in Mombasa attended by members of the National Assembly Health Committee, led by James Nyikal, and key health sector stakeholders.
“Never again will you find that in our hospitals, people are sharing beds. People will never share beds. We can’t have 3 or 4 people sharing 1 bed, and you charge SHA for the 4 beds. The dignity of that patient is important to me, and that is why I said we will restore the dignity of our patients,” Duale said.
Duale instructed the Social Health Authority (SHA) to only process claims based on the approved bed capacity of each health facility. Hospitals exceeding their capacity will not receive additional compensation unless they expand their infrastructure to match the number of patients admitted.
He cited a specific case of a hospital with an approved bed capacity of 1,800, making it clear that such a facility should only admit 1,800 patients. If demand exceeds that number, hospitals will be required to procure additional beds before taking in more patients.
“I have talked to the CEO of KNH this morning, and I have told him that your hospital allows only 1800 people; you will only admit 1800 if you want more, procure more beds,” he added.
The Health CS affirmed that under his watch, bed-sharing will not be tolerated, adding that the government is committed to restoring order and dignity in public healthcare facilities across the country.
That will not happen under my watch as the CS, and this committee – I want you to support me,” he added.
Free primary healthcare
This comes days after Aden Duale reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), announcing that all Primary Health Care (PHC) services in public Level 2 to Level 4 facilities are now fully free across the country.
In a statement released on X on Saturday, July 5, 2025, Duale emphasised that all registered Kenyans under the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) should not be asked to pay for any primary care services.
“As part of our commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), I wish to reaffirm that all Primary Health Care (PHC) services are fully free of charge in all public Level 2 to Level 4 health facilities across the country,” Duale stated.
Duale said the free services include clinical consultations, diagnostic tests, treatment for both acute and chronic illnesses, mental health support, maternal and child health care, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
