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{
    "id": 986404,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/986404/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 64,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Mbito",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13225,
        "legal_name": "Michael Maling'a Mbito",
        "slug": "michael-malinga-mbito"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.47(1) to make a Statement on a matter of general topical concern, namely, the habit by hospitals of detaining deceased persons over non-payment of outstanding bills. When people take their relatives to hospital, it is the hope that the person will be attended to, treated and they will get well enough to go back home. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and there are times that the patient loses the battle and dies. Often times, there are patients who die after prolonged stay in hospital or even following emergency treatment that is often very costly. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there appears to be a continuing habit in Kenya of detention of patients for inability to pay their hospital bills. There are countless accounts of distraught families having to deal with rogue hospitals that refuse to release bodies of their deceased relatives for burial because of huge outstanding medical bills. Cases of relatives having to end up in court for intervention to enable them bury their dead are also rampant and cannot be overstated. Alarmingly, such detention of patients has gained social acceptance with most Kenyans being forced to mobilise funds from family, friends and other well-wishers to secure the release of their kin, instead of challenging the illegal detention by the hospital."
}