We haven't detained any patient for failure to clear bills, says Ksm CEC Health.

Kisumu County CEC in charge of Health Dr. Rosemary Obara{R} address the media today in Kisumu where she said the regional health Facility has not detained any patient due to lack of paying hospital bill-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo

  

September 17, 2018.

We haven't detained any patient for failure to clear bills, says Ksm CEC Health.

THE County Government of Kisumu has defended itself against accusation that it detained some patients who were lying on mattresses outside the wards for failure to clear hospital bills at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member in charge of Health and Sanitation Dr. Rosemary Obara says the two patients were already been discharged from the facility and were awaiting for their relatives to take them home after successful treatment following their admission while in a coma.

Dr Obara was addressing the media after touring the facility today to assess the situation after it has been highlighted in a section of the social media that captured the pictures of two patients lying on their mattresses on the floor outside the wards within the health facility.

A section of the local dailies have today also carried out the story of some patients who were captured lying on the mattresses outside the hospital’s wards on the floor.

The photos of the two patients went viral in the social media with claims that they have been detained following their failure to clear hospital bills hence could not go home.

Dr. Obara says the two patients were admitted while in a coma but are now okay after being treated and discharged, adding that they were now ready to go home. 

“These two patients came in a coma and were treated and their fees has been waived and have been escorted home,” she adds.

Dr. Obara says the patients had been discharged after getting successful treatment and were to ease the congestion at the wards within the said facility.

She says the hospital currently experiences serious congestion due to getting many patients even outside Kisumu County since it is a regional referral hospital receiving patients from other counties.

“We had some patients who were already been discharged and were awaiting to go home but were lying on the mattresses outside the wards which has been occasioned by the congestion which has been witnessed as a result of the facility getting many patients even outside Kisumu County since this is a regional facility,” Dr. Obara says.

Dr. Obara says the facility is currently experiencing high road traffic accidents involving boda boda operators and matatu accidents hence has made the facility to be congested due to that.

Obara says the County Government of Kisumu under the current Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong'o has earmarked a lot resources to help in improving the health services in various health facilities in Kisumu County.

She says such resources will be used to help in improving the peripheral health facilities to be able to hand cases within their jurisdiction so as to help in the issue of decongesting the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.

She adds that there is no health facility in Kisumu County which is against any patient who visit them seeking treatment, adding that their primary role is to ensure that patients are well taken care of in terms of provision of health services.

Dr. Obara at the same time says that the number of the staff at the facility are overstretched, adding that she is hopeful that the County Government will employ more staffs so as to help bridging the gap in the shortage of staff.

She says the Hospital’s Administration has been able to help in decongesting it by ensuring that the number those undergoing operations goes up to 20 from 8 within a period of one month, adding that the new Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Peter Okoth has done a commendable job since taking over barely two months ago.

Vice Chair of Health Committee at County Assembly of Kisumu Seth Okumu says the County Assembly is ready to assist the health facilities to provide good services to the public.

He says there is need to appropriate more funds to a health facility like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

He adds that this will enable such a facility to offer proper health services to the public.

“As the County Assembly of Kisumu, we are ready to assist the health facilities improve the services they offer to the public,” Okumu says.

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