MPs pass Bill barring hospitals from demanding upfront payments, detaining patients over unpaid bills
The National Assembly has passed the Health (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeking to prohibit hospitals from demanding upfront payments for emergency treatment and detaining patients or bodies over unpaid bills, with proposed fines of up to Sh3 million.
Kenya's National Assembly has approved the Health (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to prohibit hospitals from demanding upfront payments for emergency treatment and detaining patients or deceased persons over unpaid medical bills. Sponsored by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Njeri Maina, the proposed law will amend the Health Act, 2017, to make it illegal for healthcare facilities to deny patients emergency medical attention due to an inability to pay.
Hospitals found guilty could face fines of up to Sh3 million, while officers who facilitate the detention of bodies over unpaid medical bills could face fines of up to Sh2 million. The legislation is designed to ensure that financial considerations do not interfere with saving lives and upholding patients' constitutional rights to healthcare.
The bill's introduction was prompted by cases in which families struggled to release their deceased relatives' bodies due to outstanding bills. Notable examples include Kelvin, who died in a road accident and had his body held for a year at a funeral home due to a Sh1.42 million bill, and Caroline Nthangu Tito, whose body remained at Mater Misericordiae Hospital for over two months following her death due to a Sh3.3 million debt.
The bill aims to provide clearer statutory protections against such practices, aligning with constitutional provisions on access to medical services and inherent dignity.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
