Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has ordered that all patients who are being held in county hospitals because of unpaid bills be released during the holiday season.
Sakaja stated on Monday on social media that the patients needed to be reunited with their families during the Christmas holidays and that his administration would pay their outstanding bills.
He claimed that it was even more expensive for most hospitals to cater to patients’ needs and expenses while they were in the hospital, so there was no reason for them to be confined.
“I’ve directed that all persons detained at our county hospitals because of non-payment be released to go home to be with their families this Christmas. We will pay. In many cases it is even more expensive to cater for them in terms of food etc and patients who need space miss it,” he said.
Sakaja said the waiver covered all Nairobi county government hospitals including Mama Lucy and Mbagathi, adding it was a Christmas gesture for patients to reunite with their families during this festive season.
Speaking during the lighting of the Christmas tree at City Hall, Sakaja observed that many hospitals continue to hold patients despite them recovering terming it as cruel, inhuman and degrading.
“Healthcare is a human right and when we support and uplift our people, the entire community benefits. I will treat this population with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Sakaja said.
He added that hospital imprisonment is a violation of human rights that also comes with implications.
