The Mathari Mental Hospital is lamenting over a group of patients referred to as 'guests of the state', for highly congesting and straining resources at the facility.
The mental facility is now blaming the judiciary for the inconveniences following decision by the courts to send mentally unstable criminals to the hospital, without inquiring about the availability of resources needed to cater for them.
According to Medical Superintendent at the hospital, Julius Ogatu, patients sent to the Mathari hospital by the courts or police do not pay any fees.
“To avoid being found in contempt of courts, when we receive a court order, we do not know how we can say no,” Mr Ogutu expressed.
The maximum security unit currently holds 71 patients referred from prisons, 81 from police stations and 44 falling under the special category of guilty but insane.
The Judiciary is also accused of taking too long to collect the patients after treatment, hence some of them remain locked up at the hospital despite finishing treatment and qualifying for a review of their court cases.
In February this year, Members of the National Assembly Health Committee came out of Mathari Hospital a shocked lot, after making an impromptu visit to the mental facility.
They learnt that the facility had a bed capacity of 700 yet the patient population stood at 4,188, indicating that six mentally ill persons shared a single bed.
Read Also: 5 Shocking Facts MPs Witnessed at Mathari Hospital
