The Ministry of Health has convened a health sector stakeholders meeting to discuss the cost of healthcare in the country.

The meeting expected to take place next week will bring on board the private sector including insurance companies.

Health CS Susan Wafula acknowledged that most NHIF funds go to the private sector, but noted that the role they play in the provision of healthcare services is key.

“We are having a stakeholder engagement next week and we are bringing together the private insurance. They have to be part of this conversation,” Wafula said.

"Whatever we are doing we are focusing on the patients so all stakeholders will be put on board.”

The CS said the government plan is to focus on capacity building the private facilities but maintained that the private facilities are playing their share in ensuring the delivery of healthcare to Kenyans.

“I agree that most funding is going to private hospitals but now since we are doing for the grassroots by the grassroots, we shall focus on public institutions but we also don’t have to demonise the private institutions,” she said.

“They are contributing and we are going to work together. Before we capacity build our public facilities we shall still use the private ones so let us not demonise the private hospitals.”

NHIF has in the recent past defended why the largest chunk of reimbursements are to private health facilities.

NHIF CEO Peter Kamunyo told the National Assembly Health Committee in November last year that the insurer does not favour private facilities as has been perceived by the public.

"We don't favour any hospitals because Kenyans have a choice of where to go," Kamunyo said.

This is after data from the national health insurer showed that 65 per cent of reimbursements go to private facilities, 15 per cent to faith-based facilities with only 19 per cent go to public health facilities.