Gov’t Responds to Claims of Infant Detention at Nakuru Referral Hospital

The Nakuru County Government has dismissed as false reports alleging that infants were being detained at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH) over unpaid medical bills.

In a statement on Saturday, September 6, the Department of Health Services clarified that the allegations, which were published by a local newspaper, are entirely false.

"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 department explained that NCRTH recently conducted a week-long pediatric surgery camp in collaboration with the State Department of Health and specialized surgeons from Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Tenwek Hospital, and Kajiado County Referral Hospital. 

The camp, which ran from September 1 to 5, 2025, focused on pediatric surgical cases involving children under five years old.

According to the department, the camp yielded positive results as 112 children successfully underwent surgery. 

It added that 81 children have already been discharged, with 18 on Thursday, 44 on Friday, and 19 on Saturday.

The department clarified that 31 children remain under care and will be discharged on Sunday and Monday, following the completion of mandatory post-operative observation.

It further explained that the medical guidelines required all children to remain under observation for at least 72 hours after surgery.

"Per Ministry of Health guidelines, every patient undergoing major surgery must remain under post-operative care and observation for at least 72 hours to ensure a safe recovery. Children operated on Monday were discharged on Thursday. Those who underwent surgery later in the week are scheduled for discharge over the weekend and by Monday," the statement added.

The department noted that no child had been detained at the hospital, adding that the Social Health Authority (SHA) had fully covered the medical bills for the camp.

"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. No patient has stayed beyond the recommended 72-hour post-surgery period," the statement added.

Nakuru County Health Executive Roselyn Mungai urged the public to disregard the report and instead recognize the efforts of the medical teams involved.

"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. NCRTH remains committed to providing quality, safe, and compassionate care to all patients from Nakuru County and beyond," the statement concluded.

This comes months after Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika issued a statement following the Auditor General's report that expired drugs were discovered at the hospital.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 5, Mungai explained that the first batch, consisting of program drugs donated by a development partner, expired due to a change in user protocol.

“The first set of drugs consists of ‘program drugs’ donated by our development partner. The expiration of these drugs was caused by a change in the user protocol, which necessitated the stoppage of their distribution,” she stated. A recent report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that the expired drugs and medical supplies in question were found in the hospital's stores.

"A review of records from the pharmacy department at Nakuru Level Five Hospital on October 8, 2024, revealed that drugs amounting to Ksh1.8 million had expired during the year under review but were still in the stores," the report said.

Mungai said the second batch, short expiry drugs donated by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), were not purchased by the county and were not part of essential medicines used in the hospital.

“The second set of drugs was a documented donation from KEMSA of ‘short expiry drugs,’ intended for high-volume facilities. These were not purchased and were certainly not part of our essential medicines. Once drugs expire, the hospital cannot dispose of them until a stringent audit and disposal process is completed,” she added.