Prisoners Denied Treatment at Mbagathi Hospital Over Unpaid Ksh12 Million Debt
Dozens of prisoners in Nairobi are staring at danger after Mbagathi Hospital suspended all medical services to the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS).
The hospital accuses the agency of failing to clear a ballooning debt that now stands at over Ksh12 million.
Services Suspended Over Debt
In a notice dated August 4, Mbagathi Hospital informed KPS that inmates would no longer receive treatment.
The management explained that the unpaid bills, which date back to 2018, had crippled hospital operations.
According to records, the hospital only received Ksh6.7 million, leaving a huge balance unsettled.
“We cannot continue to provide services under these circumstances. It is financially unsustainable,” the hospital stated.
Officials revealed that repeated efforts to recover the money from KPS had been ignored.
Hospital Struggles to Stay Afloat
The financial crisis has gone beyond unpaid bills. The hospital now struggles to buy essential drugs and maintain its infrastructure.
“Our operations have been severely disrupted. The debt has left us unable to provide critical services,” a senior official said.
Because of the standoff, prisoners referred to Mbagathi have been turned away. The KPS has been forced to look for other providers, though most lack the capacity to handle inmates’ medical needs.
Prisoners at Risk
The situation has created fear and uncertainty inside prisons. Inmates with chronic illnesses are the most vulnerable.
“We don’t know what will happen to prisoners with diabetes, HIV, or hypertension. Their care is already delayed,” a prisons source revealed.
Families of inmates have also raised concerns, warning that denying prisoners healthcare amounts to a violation of human rights.
A Wider Debt Crisis
This case is the latest example of government institutions drowning in debt.
Treasury CS John Mbadi in January warned that parastatals with huge pending bills would be blocked from fresh borrowing.
However, KPS has been flagged not only for debts but also for systemic corruption.
A recent EACC report found that money collected from inmates often vanished once prisoners were released.
“Funds are untraceable after release. This raises serious accountability concerns,” the EACC report noted.
Uncertain Future
Prisoners Denied Treatment at Mbagathi Hospital Over Unpaid Ksh12 Million Debt
