It is not once or twice that the Kenyatta National Hospital has been on the spot for the wrong reasons. And the latest revelation is most shocking.
In a report released by the Ministry of Health on Thursday has revealed that Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has been detaining patients and bodies over an accumulated debt of almost Ksh6 billion.
The Ministry noted that 184 patients and 387 bodies have been detained by the facility due to the debt.
The report put the exact non-payment at Ksh 5, 692,834,284.
The ministry released the details following an expose done by Citizen TV that revealed how women are being detained at the facility over non-payment.
In response to the detention, the ministry noted: “To address the accumulation of patient bills in hospitals, the Ministry communicates to relevant hospitals to waive the bills or enter into a credit facility or cases that are brought to our attention.”
Other hospital facilities said to be detaining patients included Kakamega Referral Hospital which has a total of 56 patients with an outstanding debt of Ksh3,336,806.
Nakuru County Referral Hospital has been reported to have 15 patients who owe the facility a total of Ksh850,780.
Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has no detained patient,however, a debt of Ksh1billion as recorded.
The ministry presented the data from 216 health facilities out of the existing 3,511 public and private facilities categories as level 3 up to level 6.
This report comes after MPs asked the ministry to table the number of patients detained countrywide following the expose.