• Mary Mueni, from Kangundo, was at the hospital for two weeks and owed Sh33,512.
• Health PS Mochache said in future the hospital would not be allowed to detain patients over bills.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
David Segero’s son was involved in an accident on February 6 in Nairobi and rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital.
Segero junior had, until yesterday, called Kenyatta home for almost two months over pending bill. Yesterday was Segero's happiest moment after the son was among 258 patients released by the hospital.
The bill had risen to Sh238,852 and Segero was forced to sell his cow in Kisii. He managed to raise only Sh50,000.
"I could not manage to pay the balance so I am happy after well-wishers decided to clear our bills. I am grateful,” Segero said.
Mary Mueni from Kangundo had been at the hospital for two weeks. She was equally overjoyed yesterday.
Mary was admitted after developing breathing problems. Her bill had accumulated to Sh33,512. The family had managed to clear Sh25,000 by the time of her release.
“I'm the sole breadwinner of the family as my husband has no job. Since I fell sick, it was difficult to raise the money," Mueni said.
Twenty two out of the 258 released patients were, however, stranded at the hospital - they were abandoned by their relatives.
The hospital will now have to publish the names on its website and circulate the list in the media to trace their kin.
The management has appealed to the public to have a look at the list and help identify them.
"We have patients we have discharged but we have not seen their relatives. I am calling on the public to help us. If you know of a neighbour or relative who is on the list, kindly assist the hospital because it is in the interest of this hospital to ensure everybody goes home," board member James Kamau said.
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the hospital was ordered to make an arrangement with the patients to settle the bills.
"Some patients were deemed to be abandoned with no one to pay their bills, so they also had to be released," Mochache told the National Assembly Health Committee.
Going forward, she said, the hospital would not be allowed to detain patients over bills. "We are carrying out reforms on National Hospital Insurance Fund which should take care of these bills."
The hospital’s acting CEO Thomas Mutie said most of the patients are admitted as emergency cases as a result of accidents on roads. Thirty per cent of them fail to clear their bills.
"We have a cost-sharing policy at the hospital so that the patients contribute a little cash at subsidised rates so that when the next patient comes we have drugs to treat him or her," Mutie said.
Kamau said it is not the wish of the hospital to detain patients as the facility is overcrowded.
“KNH is a referral hospital and our bed capacity in the last few years has grown to 2,000. On average, we are treating 70,000 people in the inpatient and an average of 6,000 outpatients. It is in the interest of the hospital to release all the patients to go home upon being given a clean bill of health to make room for others,” he said.
“We have come up with a mechanism where patients will be paying on credit and calling on well-wishers to see all patients discharged can go home,” he added.
Some will have to clear their bills in monthly installments or as per agreement with the hospital.
Kamau said some of those released had their bills waived after the hospital did an assessment and realised they don’t have the ability to pay even if they were detained for more than two years.