Kenyatta National Hospital Releases 250 Patients Detained over Unpaid Bills After Public Uproar

Following a public uproar, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has released 250 patients detained over unpaid bills.

The country's largest medical facility has announced the release of the patients in a statement sent to newsrooms on Tuesday.

The hospital says the decision to discharge the 250 patients has been made following public outcry.

The hospital was placed on the spot after an expose aired by Citizen TV on March 25th, revealed that several patients, especially women were sleeping on the floor after being detained at the facility over unsettled bills.

Some of the patients, including women who had given birth, were locked in one of the rooms for several weeks without enough food and beddings.

A day later, the Ministry of Health released a report showing that 184 patients and 387 dead bodies were held at KNH for non-payment of a bill amounting to Sh6 billion.

The Ministry has formed a special task force to investigate cases of patients detained in various hospitals across the country for failing to pay medical bills.

In a circular, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache tasked the team to probe nine private and public hospitals.

The nine hospitals include Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, the Nairobi Hospital, the Aga Khan University Hospital, and Mater Hospital among others.