Sakaja waives medical bills for patients stuck in city hospitals
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, December 21, 2023
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Thursday, December 21, 2023, announced a waiver of medical bills for needy patients stuck at the county’s level five hospitals ahead of Christmas festivities.
The county boss also directed the release of bodies to families unable to clear mortuary fees.
This follows a meeting with the Board chairs and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Mama Rachel Ruto Mutuini Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital, Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Pumwani College of Nursing and Midwifery as well as the Nairobi Funeral Home.
“We have issued a waiver to all patients who had been unable to leave the hospitals due to medical bills as well as to families who have been unable to pay fees at the funeral home for the release of the bodies of their loved ones,” Sakaja said in a post on X (formally Twitter).
He also noted that the city healthcare facilities had recorded improvement in service delivery.
“Thanked the leadership for the great improvements in service delivery and addressed concerns and plans for the new year,” he added.
Unclaimed bodies
Sakaja’s announcement comes at a time when many bodies remain unclaimed at the Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary.
In September, the county government announced plans to dispose of 193 unclaimed bodies currently lying at the City Mortuary and Mama Lucy Hospital.
Chief Officer of Urban Development and Planning, Patrick Analo said there were 169 unclaimed bodies at the City Mortuary and an additional 24 at Mama Lucy Hospital.
He appealed to the public to collect the unclaimed bodies within seven days. Failure to do so would compel the Nairobi City Council to seek authorization for their disposal.
“Pursuant to Public Health Act Cap 242 [Subsidiary: PUBLIC HEALTH (PUBLIC MORTUARIES) RULES, 19911 (2). Interested members of the public are asked to identify and collect the below-named bodies within 7 days. failure to which the Nairobi City County will seek authority for disposal,” the public notice read.
The unclaimed bodies have accumulated in the mortuaries between May 2022 and April 2023. The causes of the deaths vary from accidents to suicide, drownings to murder, natural deaths to sudden passings, and electrocution.