Doctors raise concern over high number of patients abandoned in Bungoma hospitals

Doctors in Bungoma County have raised concern over the growing number of patients abandoned in hospitals by after treatment.

The patients including those who are mentally ill and others destitutes are abandoned by relatives, police officers, and even Good Samaritans.

Speaking at Webuye County Hospital on Sunday, Medical Superintendent Dr David Wanikina said that such patients remain in wards for weeks or even months after being discharged because no one claims responsibility for their welfare.

Wanikina said medical staff are forced to play caretaker roles thereby diverting attention and resources from other patients.

“Most cases involve vulnerable individuals, including street families, who simply refuse to leave the hospital,” he added.

“This overstretches health facilities and created both humanitarian and logistical challenges as the situation reduces bed capacity, drives up costs, and compromises service delivery,” he added.

Wanikina urged the county government to urgently develop a policy framework to deal with the crisis.

Wanikina asked MCAs to spearhead legislation that would provide clear guidelines on how abandoned patients should be handled.

“It is the responsibility of our county leaders to put in place a legal and policy framework that safeguards both patients and health facilities because health is a devolved function,” he said.

“A ward designed to hold 20 patients ends up hosting 30 or more not because of emergencies, but because discharged patients have nowhere else to go. It is a ticking time bomb,” a nurse who requested anonymity said.

Medics further pointed to the shortage of rehabilitation centers and mental health facilities as a major contributor to the problem. Families struggling to cope with mentally ill relatives often abandon them at hospitals.

Doctors now want the Bungoma County Government to establish a social welfare fund for abandoned patients, expand community health programmes, and strengthen collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection.

“This is not just a medical issue it is social, economic, and humanitarian. We need a holistic approach that protects human dignity while allowing hospitals to operate effectively,” Wanikina said.

Isaac Wanyonyi, a Webuye resident said the county government should explore partnerships with the national government, civil society, and faith-based organizations to create safe shelters for vulnerable patients.

Police in Webuye East are investigating allegations by residents that Webuye County Hospital dumped a recovered patient at Dinaaa area in the town.