The taxpayer may soon have to spare Sh4.8 billion annually to keep patients and bodies from being detained by hospitals.
The money would be given out to cushion national referral hospitals and other public facilities from revenue losses involved.
The proposal to end such detention in hospitals, which has been a source of pain for many families, is contained in the Health (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The Bill also proposes that each of the 47 counties be allocated Sh50 million annually as additional conditional grants.
The analysis of cost implication in implementing the Bill by Nyando MP Jared Okello was tabled yesterday by the Parliamentary Budget Office before National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriation Committee.
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“Based on the above assumptions, it is estimated that the amendments will cost an additional expenditure of Sh4.15 billion in the financial year 2019/20 and that is expected to increase to Sh4.8 billion over the medium term,” reads the analysis.
Well-off families
It further estimates that the average cost for patients at the time of discharge will be Sh150,000, with at least 1,000 patients likely to fail to pay their medical bills before being discharged every month.
The budget office further cautions that the law might be exploited by well-off families who opt not to pay.
It also warns that the amendment may discourage health facilities from admitting deserving patients for fear of being forced to pursue lengthy alternative ways of recovering their monies.
This is because it forces the hospitals to "pursue the recovery of such civil debt through legal means instead of arbitrary detention of patients, deceased bodies or patients’ documents."
A report by Health Ministry to Parliament, in March, had disclosed that at least 300 patients and 391 bodies were being detained by 11 hospitals over bills amounting to Sh6.7 billion.
Kenyatta National Hospital was illegally holding 184 patients and 387 bodies. Some of the bodies and patients were later released following intervention by Parliament.