Nairobi Women's Hospital Clarifies Claims of Patient Extortion, Detention

The Nairobi Women's Hospital has come out to denounce accusations of extortion and detention following an exposé made by Citizen TV. 

The hospital's CEO Sam Thenya on Tuesday rejected the assertions, saying the hospital never received grants or funds from the alleged investors for covering medical expenses. Moreover, he denied any detainment of patients, affirming that they are in compliance with the High Court's ruling. The management clarified that they had collaborated with investors that were authorized by the government. 

"The hospital does not detain patients for any reason at any of our hospitals as alleged. We have fully complied with the ruling by the High Court of Kenya. The Nairobi Women's Hospital has never received any grants or funds from the said Direct Foreign Investments (DFIs) for subsiding patients' medical bills whatsoever. Africa Health Fund (AHF) made investments that have been purely commercial," the statement reads in parts. 

The hospital also declared its commitment to providing quality healthcare services and expressed regret for any distress the allegations may have caused their patients and stakeholders. They added that it has been their mission to offer accessible and affordable healthcare to the lower and middle class for the past 22 years. 

The exposé, based on a report from Oxfam International, accused the hospital of exploiting patients financially, despite having obtained funding from international organizations to reduce medical costs. The hospital was also accused of mistreating patients and detaining them unlawfully.

The non-government organization had named Nairobi Women's Hospital as one of many private medical facilities that had not subsidised the cost of health services despite receiving funding from development finance institutions.