Mbagathi Hospital on the brink of grounding services over cash crunch

At the Mbagathi County Referral Hospital, patients some treated and discharged, linger in the wards.

The hospital administration tells us that these patients prefer staying at the hospital than going home, on account of the harsh economic times.

“We have 40 such patients,” says the hospital’s CEO.

The burden of keeping such patients here is weighing heavily over the hospital that is already strained with huge debts.

The hospital owes suppliers over Ksh.100 million, debts stretching as far back as the days of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

“There is the question of pending bills over Ksh.100 milion, it is a burden and the people responsible are at the State House,” says Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Indeed, the NMS debts aren't the only financial strains facing the hospital, the hospital is also owed over Ksh.80 million by the NHIF through the Linda Mama programme.

The hospital, which has a bed capacity of 452 is currently handling nearly twice that amount of patients on a daily basis.

An expansion programme that would see this capacity expanded stands unfinished as the hospital cannot afford to pay the contractors to complete the works that would also increase the hospital's capacity to handle emergency and critical care services.

The Nairobi County government, now in charge of running the health facility, acknowledges the challenges facing the institution including the pending bills and delays in paying health workers' salaries.

Nairobi County Secretary, Patrick Analo speaking to Citizen TV says the debt does exist, and is being audited by the Office of the President with the view of handing over the same to the county, at the same time, the county says it is in the process of clearing January salary arrears.

The county further states that the hospital's capacity to dispense medicine has been improved with the contracting of KEMSA to supply it with medical equipment and drugs after clearing its Ksh.240 million bill with the supplier.