Nairobi Women’s Hospital Denies Extortion and Patient Detention, Vows Commitment to Quality Healthcare

Nairobi Women’s Hospital, in a bid to restore its reputation, has vehemently denied allegations of extorting investors and detaining patients in some of its facilities.

In a press release issued on Monday, June 26, the hospital made it clear that it actively opposes the practice of detaining patients, citing a High Court ruling that condemns such actions.

“The Nairobi Women’s 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, Constitutional and Human Rights Division – Petition No. 242 of 2018 and have aligned our policies and practices,” statement read in part.

The medical facility also dismissed a report aired on Citizen TV on Sunday, June 25, which claimed that the hospital extorted investors who had provided funds to subsidize treatment costs. In a detailed letter, Nairobi Women’s Hospital clarified that it had not received any funds from the alleged investors.

The hospital explained that it had partnered with various investors who own shares in the facility, and their approval had been granted by the government. Furthermore, the hospital reassured its patients of its unwavering commitment to providing high-quality healthcare.

“The Nairobi Women’s Hospital has never received any grants from the said Direct Foreign Investments (DFIs) for subsidising patients’ medical bills. The Nairobi Women’s Hospital has never received any funds from the said DFIs, whatsoever.

“Our mission is to provide quality, accessible and affordable healthcare in a sustainable way to the lower and middle class, which we have successfully done over the last 22 years,” the hospital maintained.

However, Oxfam International, a non-governmental organization focused on ending poverty-related injustices, included Nairobi Women’s Hospital in a list of private hospital chains accused of failing to subsidize the cost of health services despite receiving funding from development finance institutions.

“The Nairobi Women’s Hospital remains committed to providing quality, accessible and affordable healthcare and sincerely regrets any distress that these unfortunate allegations may have caused to our patients, their families, the public and all other stakeholders,” the Nairobi Women’s Hospital emphasized.

In a related development, the Nairobi Governor recently initiated a crackdown on city hospitals accused of violating human rights.

In April 2023, Governor Sakaja took action by replacing the entire board of Mama Lucy Hospital following reports of negligence resulting in the loss of an unborn baby for an expectant mother.

Additionally, Sakaja reshuffled the management team at Pumwani Hospital to enhance service delivery for expectant mothers.

Governor Sakaja emphasized that these changes were crucial for revitalizing healthcare in public hospitals, underscoring the importance of upholding human rights and ensuring improved services for all.