A family living in Kiandutu slums, Thika, is calling for justice after their relative, Patrick Kinyanjui, 35, suffered serious burns while being held at Thika Level Five Hospital.

Patrick was diagnosed with a stomach condition and admitted to the hospital a month ago.

He later went for surgery, which was successful, but since he could not afford to clear the bill, he was detained at the facility awaiting full payment.  

Things took a terrible turn when he reportedly tried to escape by climbing over a fence.

According to his family, hospital staff caught him and, in a shocking act, one staff member poured a burning liquid on him, inflicting serious burns from his neck down to his waist. 

Patrick suffered second-degree burns and is in critical condition. Even worse, the facility allegedly moved Kinyanjui to another ward without informing the family.

His relatives say they only came to realise what happened after they couldn’t find him in his usual bed. 

“When I visited him in his usual ward, he was missing. It is only after I interrogated the nurses in the ward that they opened up to me that he had been moved,” said Kimemia Mungai, Kinyanjui’s uncle. 

Seeking truth 

The family is now pleading with Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi to step in and ensure justice is done. 

“We’ve seen some good changes at Thika Level Five, like new X-ray services, but this kind of abuse cannot be allowed. No one should be treated like this,” distraught Mungai added. 

The patient’s sister, Jane Muthoni, shared the family’s pain, saying they are orphans and very poor. 

“We don’t have the power to fight this on our own. My brother has been through so much. His wife left him when their baby was just six months old, and now this has happened,” a pained Muthoni told People Daily. 

Another family member, Julius Karanja, was more adamant, asking the hospital to take full responsibility and release the CCTV footage that might show who committed the heinous act. 

“We don’t want this hidden. We want the truth. Other people have also suffered in public hospitals, like it recently happened at Kenyatta National Hospital. We can’t keep quiet anymore,” said Karanja. 

Thika sub-county Police Commander Lawrence Muchangi confirmed that the case has been reported and is being looked into, revealing that detectives have already been sent to the hospital to gather evidence. 

“We want to find out exactly what happened,” he said. 

The case has sparked anger and concern from the public, especially about how poor patients are treated in government hospitals.

The family revealed that they will not stop fighting until they see action, insisting that no one should suffer simply because they are poor. 

Unclaimed bodies 

Meanwhile, the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital has sought a court order to dispose of 14 unclaimed bodies. 

The hospital management is seeking the green light of the court to bury the unidentified bodies that have overstayed at the facility’s morgue.

The remains include those dropped by police officers from traffic accidents.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Vincent Oduor said the facility is grappling with the cost of preserving the bodies, noting that it costs up to Ksh300 per day to keep a body at the mortuary. 

Dr Oduor said the court directive is part of a legal process that will culminate with the eventual disposal of the bodies. He said getting rid of the unidentified bodies would save the hospital from the maintenance expenses. 

“It is a bit exorbitant to maintain unidentified bodies because the hospital has to buy chemicals used as preservatives,” he said, warning that the facility, which has the capacity to hold 30 bodies, risks running out of storage space if the remains continue to pile up uncollected. 

“Bodies that stay for long can also produce a foul smell and interfere with the environment,” he added. 

The hospital CEO asked members of the public to visit the health facility and check if any of the bodies could be of their missing kin, identify and collect them.