Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered the release of patients held in county health facilities over unpaid medical bills.
He directed the county Health Services to effect the order and ensure all the patients who are unable to clear their medical bills are released unconditionally.
“Christmas is a time when families need to be together. So let the detained patients be released so that they can go and celebrate Christmas with their families,” Sakaja said
The Governor was speaking on Sunday during The Governors’ Christmas Tree lighting at City Hall, an event held annually by the county.
However, he did not reveal the number of patients affected and the pending bills.
Back in April 2019, former Governor Mike Sonko ordered all patients held at county health facilities over unpaid bills worth over Sh1 million to be released.
A section of Nairobi patients have been unable to pay for their bills in hospitals and even after treatment, they don’t get released due to unpaid bills.
Mostly, the hospitals also detained dead bodies which have not been collected due to unpaid bills.
In September 2022, Nairobi County disposed of some 236 unclaimed bodies from city public morgues which were not collected.
The County Secretary and head of county Public Service Jairus Musumba had given members of the public seven days to identify them.
Cap 242 of the Public Health Act says an unclaimed body should be removed from a mortuary within two weeks or else it is disposed of in a mass grave after public officers obtain a court’s permission.
