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Nakuru county denies detaining infants at NCRTH over unpaid bills
06th September, 2025 05:58 PM
Nakuru County has moved swiftly to dispel misleading reports suggesting that infants were being detained at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) due to unpaid medical bills.
In an official statement shared by Aden Duale on Saturday, September 6, 2025, County Executive Committee Member for Health, Roselyn Mungai, categorically denied the claims, describing them as entirely false.
The controversy emerged after a report claimed that some children had been held at the hospital because their parents could not settle medical fees. The county health department clarified that no such detentions occurred.
“Our attention has been drawn to misleading information published by the Standard newspaper claiming that infants have been detained at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) due to unpaid medical bills. We wish to correct the misleading information published by the Standard newspaper and clarify that this allegation is entirely false,” the statement read.
The statement then noted that the hospital had recently hosted a paediatric surgery camp in collaboration with the State Department of Health to address a backlog of children requiring specialised surgical procedures.
It clarified that specialists from Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Tenwek Hospital, and Kajiado County Referral Hospital joined local medical teams for the initiative, which ran from September 1 to September 5, 2025. A total of 112 children under the age of five underwent successful surgery.
On that, it revealed that 81 children have already been discharged, with 18 discharged on Thursday, 44 on Friday, and 19 on Saturday.
“Key Outcomes of the Camp: 112 children successfully underwent surgery. 81 children have already been discharged: 18 on Thursday, 44 on Friday, and 19 on Saturday,” the statement added.
The remaining 31 children, it noted, are scheduled to be discharged over the weekend and by Monday, following mandatory post-operative observation.
“31 children remain under care and will be discharged on Sunday and Monday, following the completion of mandatory post-operative observation,” it added.
The county emphasised that these timelines strictly follow Ministry of Health guidelines, which require all patients undergoing major surgery to remain under medical supervision for at least 72 hours to ensure safe recovery.
“While some parents may have felt their children were stable enough to leave earlier, these medical guidelines must be strictly followed for patient safety,” the statement noted.
The county also claimed that the Social Health Authority fully covered all medical costs during the surgical camp, and no patient stayed beyond the recommended post-operative period.
“While some parents may have felt their children were stable enough to leave earlier, these medical guidelines must be strictly followed for patient safety. No child has been detained at NCRTH. The Social Health Authority (SHA) fully covered all medical bills for the camp.”
Mungai then urged the public to disregard the misleading report and instead recognise the efforts of the medical teams who worked tirelessly to restore the health and dignity of the children.
She reiterated NCRTH’s commitment to providing quality, safe, and compassionate care to patients from Nakuru County and beyond.
“No patient has stayed beyond the recommended 72-hour post-surgery period. We urge the public to disregard this misleading report. Instead, let us acknowledge the tremendous effort made by the surgical teams and partners who worked tirelessly to restore these children’s health and dignity.”
The statement was copied to the County Secretary, Head of Public Service Management, Chief Officer of Medical Services, and Chief Officer of Public Health Services to ensure clarity and accountability across all relevant departments.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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