27 mothers detained at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital over unpaid bills

The patients, some of them teenagers, alleged they were subjected to inhumane conditions, including congestion and verbal abuse by hospital staff.

One of the detained mothers, 17-year-old Abigail Chepkorir, told Citizen TV: “We don’t even have pampers or pads. We are really suffering. When we ask the social worker for help, they insult us and tell us we will remain here.”

The women claim they have been forced to remain at the facility for periods ranging from 21 days to six months due to unpaid bills ranging between Ksh.20,000 and Ksh.500,000.

Hospital management confirmed that the mothers owe the facility money but denied allegations of mistreatment. MTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Philip Kirwa said the hospital continues to provide quality care to the women and their newborns, and attributed part of the confusion to systemic challenges.

“The main challenge, even with the teenagers, is that they have no identification or birth certificates. This makes it difficult for us to clear them or for the Social Health Authority to pay. It is either they pay cash, or if they are unable, our credit committee reviews their cases and makes recommendations accordingly,” Dr. Kirwa said.