Health CS Duale moves to end bed sharing in hospitals

Speaking in Mombasa during an appearance before the Dr. James Nyikal-led National Assembly Health Committee, Duale directed the nation’s insurance authority and the Social Health Authority to investigate claims filed by citizens and pay based on the hospital’s bed capacity.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities have been directed to procure more beds and resources, as well as expand their facilities if they are intent on admitting more patients.

The practice of bed sharing, following the directive by CS Duale, will be considered insurance fraud, with hospitals found guilty of cultivating the practice set to face consequences.

"Never again in our hospitals will you find people sharing beds. You can't have three or four people sharing a bed, and you charge SHA for the four beds; the dignity of that patient is important... if you want to admit more, go buy the beds and get the space," Duale said.

"There's no way Kenyans will sleep on the floor and two other Kenyans sleeping on one bed that will not happen under my watch!"

Other than improving the quality of health care and upholding the dignity of patients accessing the public health facilities, the directive aims to hold healthcare providers responsible for their actions, especially those violating national health safety policies and regulations.

The directive comes after several reports of patients sharing beds across the nation as a result of admission, with the Auditor General having flagged one case earlier in March this year, where the country’s biggest mental hospital, Mathari Hospital, was plagued with capacity issues, leading to patients sharing beds in the hospital.