CS Health Aden Duale

The Ministry of Health has defended the controversial service fee charged on claims processed through the National Digital Health System, insisting the levy is lawful, transparent and paid to a government agency—not a private company.

The response follows allegations that a two per cent fee deducted from claims processed through the Taifa Care digital platform was benefiting a private firm and that public funds were being channelled outside the legal framework governing the Social Health Authority.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale dismissed the claims, saying they had created "the wrong impression" about how the digital health system operates.

Facts First