Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has ordered the release of more than 100 women detained in the maternity ward of Coast General Teaching Hospital along with their babies due to inability to pay medical bills. These women were not registered under the SHA health insurance, with bills totaling around Sh100,000. The directive addresses hospital challenges including resource shortages and dangerous overcrowding.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has issued an order to release more than 100 women who were held in the maternity ward of Coast General Teaching Hospital along with their newborn babies. The women could not afford medical bills amounting to approximately Sh100,000 and were not enrolled in the SHA health insurance scheme.
One of the women, Vynonne Nyaga, who had been at the hospital for a month, stated: “We were told we could not leave until we paid the medical costs. I decided to start life in this hospital with my newborn baby. I was running a business selling soda.” This highlights the severe difficulties faced by these mothers beginning new lives without payment capacity.
The hospital faces multiple challenges, including a shortage of health workers, resources, and poor working conditions. Roda Usui, the Nursing Department Manager, explained that overcrowding in the maternity ward poses significant risks, particularly to newborns who may contract other illnesses along with their mothers, thereby impacting health service quality.
The governor's directive seeks to address SHA-related issues and provide relief to these mothers. Coast General Teaching Hospital serves the coastal region and relies on government funding, but these challenges continue to affect patients.