A road crash victim who succumbed to his wounds on Friday sparked national debate on the inefficiency of the healthcare system in Kenya after he spent 18 hours in an ambulance awaiting treatment.
Civil societies have quesitoned the Coptic Hospital Nairobi, which turned him away for failure to part with a cash payment of Sh200,000 before treatment.
Mr Alex Madaga, whose wife recorded a statement at Kabete Police Station, died at the Kenyatta National Hospital with many claiming that the death could be averted.
The civil societies led by Society for International Development (SID) and Kenya Ethical and Legal Issues Network, stated that the private hospital should be held accountable.
“The Coptic Hospital must be held singularly responsible for turning him (Mr Alex Madaga) away when they had the capacity to provide healthcare,"
The societies and the Health NGOs Network further posed a request to Members of Parliament to hasten legislation and pass the draft Health Bill 2014 currently in Parliament.
They highlighted that the Bill states gives private and public hospitals an obligation to provide emergency services and liable to pay a fine of up to Sh3 million should they fail to do so.
Mr Madaga was knocked down by a speeding vehicle along Waiyaki Way and rushed to Kikuyu Mission Hospital who conducted the first aid treatment before requesting for him to be taken to another hospital because they did not have an Intensive Care Unit.
It was after this that he was rushed to Nairobi Women's Hospital at Adam's Arcade and later Coptic Hospital before being taken to Kenyatta National Hospital.
