The Ministry of Health has outlawed the practice of patients sharing hospital beds in public facilities, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale declaring it not only a violation of human dignity but also an act of insurance fraud.

While addressing the media in Mombasa on Tuesday, Duale directed that all public hospitals must admit patients strictly based on their licensed bed capacity. He warned that any facility found operating beyond its approved capacity would be held responsible and penalised.

“If facilities wish to admit more patients, they must invest in expanding their infrastructure,” said Duale. “Bed sharing will now be treated as insurance fraud, and institutions involved will be held accountable.”

To implement the directive, the Ministry has tasked the Social Health Authority (SHA) with thoroughly verifying all hospital claims.

SHA has been instructed to only process claims that align with the number of licensed beds in a facility.

“SHA will only process claims based on licensed bed capacity,” said the CS. “Any attempt to claim insurance for shared beds will be considered fraudulent.”

Duale noted that the move is part of broader reforms being carried out under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme, which seeks to raise the quality of public healthcare, ensure accountability in service delivery, and protect the rights of patients.

He reiterated that hospitals must manage their patient admissions based on the space and capacity they are licensed for and warned against the admission of excess numbers without proper infrastructure.

"There's no way Kenyans will sleep on the floor, and two other Kenyans sleeping on one bed that will not happen under my watch!" said Duale.

The Ministry now wants hospitals that wish to expand their admission capacity to do so by investing in adequate facilities rather than resorting to what it terms a fraudulent and undignified practice.