It is now a known fact that Kenyan hospitals treat patients like commodities in a stock exchange to be fleeced to the maximum allowable.
Recent revelations about Coptic Hospital isn’t shocking anymore, but something must be done.
Coptic Hospital, was caught overcharging an accident victim with a minor fracture.
According to Twitter User @OsamaOtero, the patient was taken to the hospital after an accident and was placed in the ward. The bill before procedures that were recommended by the doctor came to over Sh250,000. His handler sought a second opinion and was shocked by the discrepancy in price.
“Nasoma story flani where somebody had an accident akapelekwa nearby hospital which was Coptic Hosp halafu bill ikakuja 255,000 lucky enough mtu alimpleka anajua mambo ya kusoma x ray na ilikuwa fracture ya kawaida he decided to take him to Mbagathi bill ikakuja 2700,” Osama wrote.
Challenged to procude evidence of the same, Osama unleashed a screenshot of a DM that had been sent to him.
“I know private hospitals have got their own rates lakiiiiiiniiii hii biashara ya kutake advantage ya human health inakaa morally wrong tbh,” he complained
Screenshots
Hospital’s scandal
During the height of Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya, Coptic hospital was caught selling Covid-19 vaccine certificates to anyone who would pay.
The hospital was busted for giving Covid-19 vaccine certificate to people who were travelling out of the country. The cost was between Sh500 and Sh1000.
It is at the same time that Kenya’s Digital Verification for Covid-19 certification system was hacked.
In January 2020, the rot in Kenya’s hospitals were laid bare by a damning revelation on Twitter.
A blogger, Owaah, shared screenshots of a WhatsAPP group used by medical workers at Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Nakuru branch.
The screenshot revealed the hospital’s illegal and unprofessional ways in which it shored up its profits.
The tactic included
- Putting more patients in wards.
- Delaying discharge of patients.
- ‘arresting’ patients with minor issues to visit labs, do tests that are irrelevant so as to maximize profits.
All the above led to more revenue for the hospital. The story was later hijacked by the Mainstream Media in the name of Nation Media Group and died a natural death under the heavy perfume of Public Relations.
We need a change.
Change in how medical industry operates in this country.
Either, the patient must snub hospitals that engage in this cowardly act or the government acts.
Since the govt has not acted even after the 2020 revelations on Nairobi Women’s Hospital, it means the insurance companies and the wananchi are on their own.
Guard your health, guard your wealth.
READ MORE:
- The Rot In Kenyan Hospitals
- End of Toxicity?: Private Equity firm for Metropolitan Hospital Buruburu quits
How hospitals manufacture poverty
Na muishi kujua kama iko na insurance, hizi private hospitals zitakukamua ajab – Osama Otero
Na muishi kujua kama iko na insurance, hizi private hospitals zitakukamua ajab.
— Sir-Rap-A-Lot (@Osama_otero) February 12, 2023
I went to some dental clinic in Upper Hill after seeing their ad on Facebook. Let me tell you Maina. Minor surgery ya kung'oa meno niliambiwa 15k. I went to Ngara Park road kwa some private dental clinic and was charged Ksh 3,500. Na huko nilipata more than 10 people kwa foleni.
— OJ (@Edwas_OJ) February 12, 2023
“Sio Kwa ubaya. My sister had ascitic fluid which I had suspected it’s a bacterial infection. Took her to aghakhan. The gastrologist sent to another specialist who asked for 97,000 for tests. Mind you we had done all the basic tests at aghakhan. It might be cancer was the word. Same story with St Francis kasarani. So I decided to take her to Kijabe, we did TB test and repeated the same tests we had done at the two previous hospitals. Tapped her for pathology and lab tests. Funny enough I decided to buy her diuretics za 20 bob and boom big belly gone. Now she had already done a dose of antibiotics for the bacterial infection. By the time we are going for lab results days later. Nothing was found and the ‘its likely cancer’ story was a ruse. Be careful when dealing with doctors. Wako na quota to meet,” Danny Daniels (@DannyDaniels254) wrote
“Hehe..my daughter aliweka beans deep in the nose, went to one in trm, paid 2500, wakasema wameshindwa kutoa, nimpeleke their main.kwenda was told to, pay 7,000, wajaribu kutoa normally, ikikataa, surgery at 50k, took her to gurunanak waliitoa na 600,” Kibeles (@NgarreyM)
Hehe..my daughter aliweka beans deep in the nose, went to one in trm, paid 2500, wakasema wameshindwa kutoa, nimpeleke their main.kwenda was told to, pay 7,000, wajaribu kutoa normally, ikikataa, surgery at 50k, took her to gurunanak waliitoa na 600
— kibeles (@NgarreyM) February 12, 2023
Private hospital wako Biz and worst ni their clients hukuwa so vulnerable na desperate so they manipulate them mbaya sana, enda private for check ups and other things but emergency that need serious attention bill huanza na 500 thousands.sad
— Sir Wollace (@Sir_Wollace) February 12, 2023
Mediheal Kuna mathee ameleta son wake alidungwa kisu kwa kichwa afanyiwe brain surgery buana wakaambiwa walipe 100k deposit na kumbe mjamaa alishaenda 😭
— sniper🌹 (@Janooy4) February 12, 2023
