Nairobi Women’s Hospital CEO Steps Aside over Medical Bills Scandal

Nairobi Women’s Hospital CEO Felix Wanjala has stepped aside to pave the way for investigations into claims that the facility inflated medical bills of patients with insurance covers.

Dr. Wanjala wrote to the Chairman of the hospital’s board on Saturday informing him of the decision to step aside, saying the allegations leveled against the medical facility are grave.

“I have taken time to think about this, although I don’t believe the allegations are true I would want our patients to regain confidence in us as a healthcare provider.”

“I have this afternoon written to the Chairman of the board informing him of my decision to step aside from my position as CEO effective immediately to allow the investigation team to do their work,” said Wanjala in a statement.

The allegations saw all medical insurers as well as Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) blacklist the hospital from their list of approved medical care providers.

Nairobi Women’s Hospital, which has nine branches across the country, has established itself as one of the most preferred private facilities in Kenya, having been in operation for nearly 20 years. However, complaints of unprocedural charges and admissions have tainted the reputation of the hospital.

Last month, Kenyans online shared screenshots of conversations claimed to be from a WhatsApp group of Nairobi Women’s Hospital staffers. The messages exposed discussions where medical officers were supposedly being given instructions on how to maximize revenue by delaying discharging of patients and inflating bills among other ways.