Ministry should crack the whip on rogue hospitals

Silhouette of handicapped man sitting on wheelchair [Courtesy]

The continued detention of bodies by hospitals over bills against the law and the health code of conduct is startling, to say the least. Last Thursday, the government launched investigations into the decision by the Nairobi Hospital to detain a patient’s body.

This was after the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) disclosed that the hospital disregarded its two letters demanding an explanation for the detention. 

And two months ago, Parliament’s Health Committee summoned KMPDC officials following concerns that some hospitals not only overcharge patients but also disregard laws by detaining bodies over unpaid bills.

The committee’s concerns followed the detention of a body at the Reale Hospital in Eldoret for more than five months over a Sh4 million bill.

There are many cases that have gone unreported, pointing to flagrant disregard of the law.

While hospitals are free to provide services and make money, we urge them to seek other means of recovering money owed instead of holding bodies and patients. Detaining bodies is unacceptable as it only adds to the psychological and emotional trauma of families.

We urge the medical board to tighten the noose on hospitals whose business interests contravene medical ethics. Let facility owners and medics who perpetuate these heartless tendencies be made to face the full force of the law.

Similarly, we call on Parliament to pass laws that will facilitate access to affordable healthcare and ease Kenyans’ suffering.

Every healthcare stakeholder, not just the medical board, has a role in ensuring the public doesn’t suffer at the hands of rogue hospitals.