The proposed legislation, sponsored by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina, seeks to outlaw the practice of holding patients and bodies as security for outstanding hospital bills, in line with previous court rulings.
The National Assembly has passed a Bill seeking to prohibit hospitals from detaining patients who have been discharged or withholding the bodies of deceased patients over unpaid medical bills.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina, seeks to outlaw the practice of holding patients and bodies as security for outstanding hospital bills, in line with previous court rulings.
Speaking during debate on the Bill, Maina and other lawmakers who supported the proposed legislation argued that hospitals have continued to exploit gaps in existing laws to detain patients and withhold bodies, leaving affected families struggling to secure the release of their loved ones.
The lawmakers said the proposed changes would provide a legal framework to protect patients and bereaved families from such practices.
Under the Bill, hospitals would also be prohibited from detaining patients who have been medically discharged but are unable to settle their treatment expenses.
The proposed law seeks to ensure that outstanding medical bills do not become grounds for restricting patients' freedom or preventing families from collecting the remains of their deceased relatives.
