Hospital on the spot after detaining body in Kikuyu


A hospital ward in Kenya 

PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital is on the spot after detaining the body of Moses Githinji Munene who died on January 2, while undergoing treatment.

Githinji was admitted at the hospital on February 8, 2018, and the prolonged admission accumulated Ksh1,513,781, which the family managed to settle partly leaving a balance of Ksh 777,781.

In a letter dated March 15, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board Union (KMPDU) ordered the facility to immediately release the body for burial.

Furthermore, the medical board ordered the hospital’s top management to appear before it for disciplinary action on March 18.

PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital

According to KMPDU, the hospital was in breach of code of professional conduct that bars doctors and health institutions from detaining patients for non-payment of bills

The code instead advises that legal means should be used to recover medical fees in cases where a patient dies while undergoing treatment.

Although detention of patients and bodies is a common practice in both private and public hospitals, two legislators are pushing for a law change to completely outlaw it.

Left: MPs Mohamed Ali (Nyali) and Jared Okelo (Nyando)

MPs Mohamed Ali (Nyali) and Jared Okelo (Nyando) are separately pushing to have the government compel public health facilities to forfeit all bills accrued during treatment when one dies.

The courts have also issued several rulings against the detention of bodies or patients by health facilities due to pending bills.

As per Article 43 of the Constitution, every Kenyan has a right to the highest attainable standard of health and any detention of patients or bodies is a breach of the law.

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