Kenyatta National Hospital Chief Executive Officer Evanson Kamuri has revealed that the hospital waives some patient's fees in entirety.
Speaking during a Radio Citizen interview on Wednesday, April 4, morning, the CEO explained that the waiver happens at the tail-end of the treatment process albeit after intense client research has been carried out.
For instance, he noted that an evaluation is carried out on patients' backgrounds to ascertain that they cannot clear their bills after getting healed.
"We have a department called social work. There are those who can't pay (their bills) no matter what you do. We usually carry out research on who you are, where you live, what kind of work you do as well as who your brothers and sisters are," he stated.
"After we ascertain that you are poor and have no means, for sure, we shall waive the bill. I can tell you that we have waived Ksh7 billion in the last few years. Those are what we call the indigent bills."
In previous cases, some of the patients were let go from the hospital and saw the bills amounting to Ksh6 million waived in entirety.
The CEO argued that in a case where a patient has no means of footing the bill, continued detainment will realise fewer benefits for the institution while the bill will continue skyrocketing.
"As a government and as a hospital, we understand that there are those who have no means. Some stay in the hospital for over a year and when it is the time to leave, we thank God that you are healed and waive your bill. We have waived bills as high as Ksh6 million," he added.
Kamuri, however, revealed that the institution was aware of schemes Kenyans are likely to play in an attempt to skip paying the bill despite affording it.
In that regard, stringent verification measures under the credit policy have been put in place including visits to the affected patient's home and interviews with their neighbours.
"We also waive but we have a credit policy. We know Kenyans' tricks because some who can pay always claim they cannot," he added.
"During the verification, we must ascertain that you truly cannot pay. During the period, we can hold you for over a week asking you questions. We will visit your home and talk to your neighbours. We will release you if you truly cannot pay the bill."
Kenyans have for years lamented exorbitant treatment fees with others claiming that hospitals routinely detain them for failing to foot their bills.
In December 2023, a study by the Centre on Global Health Security in the United Kingdom ranked Kenya among the countries with high cases of patients being detained alongside Nigeria, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
