Getting a bed at an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a hospital in Nairobi will set you back as much as Ksh650,000 as a deposit, a survey by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has revealed.
As Kenya's third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic continues, more cases have been reported which has resulted in a deficit of ICU) services in health facilities throughout the country.
As of March 24, data from the Ministry of Health showed that there were 1,073 patients admitted in various health centres with 141 being in the Intensive Care Unit, 34 on ventilatory support, 99 on supplementary oxygen while eight were on observation.
In a letter to the Ministry of Health dated March 23, 2021, the KMPDC CEO Daniel Yumbya exposed the worrying trend in which hospitals in Nairobi demanded a deposit before admitting patients in need of critical care.
The hospitals found to be demanding deposits include the Nairobi Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Nairobi West Hospital and MP Shah Hospital.
MP Shah was found to be charging the highest with a requirement of a Ksh650,000 deposit prior to admission.
The hospital had six beds which were noted to be full to capacity.
To get one of the 36 ICU beds in Nairobi Hospital, a deposit of Ksh130,000 to Ksh300,000 is required. All the beds were currently occupied.
"The hospital, however, does not ask for a deposit when payment is guaranteed," KMPDC noted.
Nairobi West Hospital's ICU unit was found to be half full with 23 out of its 46 ICU beds being occupied.
"A Ksh300,000 is required as a deposit. Require guarantee but do not deny treatment due to deposit," the doctor's council found.
The KUTRRH with a total of 32 ICU beds that are full to capacity requires a deposit of Ksh200,000.
