Patients across the country faced major problems at the weekend after the National Hospital Insurance Fund’s (NHIF) digital payments platforms collapsed, leaving many stranded in hospitals or unable to access health services.

Whereas system downturns are to be expected, critical institutions like NHIF ought to have fast turn-around times or alternative forms of clearing and receiving payments to ensure that patients are not exposed to unnecessary suffering.

The real worry, however, is not so much that patients and their loved ones were unable to use the services but that the fund could have been compromised and money lost to fraudsters.

Given that Kenya is in a transition phase, citizens cannot rule out sabotage or security breaches that could have led to lose of revenue at the public insurer. Of course, it is every citizen’s hope that this did not happen because the consequences of such breaches would be dire.

However, should it be established that financial systems were breached or compromised and money or crucial records lost, then swift legal action should be taken against those responsible.

The cost of healthcare and health insurance in Kenya has become way too high for the vast majority. That is why NHIF is critical and should be accorded the highest security standards, both in the digital systems and the physical installations.

Data and financial breaches must be anticipated and prevented at all cost, given that NHIF handles large volumes of money as well as crucial information about the health records of citizens. If either is compromised, this exposes the country and the people to serious risks.

The silence that greeted the downtime did not help matters, only serving to raise public anxiety. The NHIF management and leadership owe Kenyans an explanation of what happened and how the problem has been addressed. If the challenge is likely to persist, then NHIF should duly inform the public as it is obligated to.

Absence of credible information from the fund leaves room for speculation and fake news. That is why the fund’s communication team must address the issue.

There are many other things that the Fund can, and should, do to improve service delivery, but for now, the most urgent task is to restore services and come out publicly to acknowledge the problem.