Kenyatta National Hospital has nearly doubled its consultation fee from 650 to 1150 shillings among other treatment costs. KNH says the money would fund other important projects that will relieve its patients of the agony of cancer, heart, and kidney diseases.
This decision has left many poor Kenyans who have for a long relied on the hospital for specialized treatment at a crossroad especially now that the covid 19 has hurt the economy.
According to the hospital plan, cancer and kidney disease have been on the rise due to lifestyle changes and hence the need for the five-year strategic plan that will run to 2023 to help in the treatment of the same.
KNH aims to raise 31.4 billion shillings from patients fees by 2023 and with a five-year budget of 95 billion, KNH expects to receive 57.9 billion shillings from the National Treasury.
About 10,7 billion will be spent on upgrades such as perimeter walls and CCTV cameras, ICT infrastructure, new buildings as well as renovations.
In their statement, KNH Says that the cost-sharing will be reviewed annually during the implementation of the plan that is set to raise a five percent revenue.
As much as the hospital is projecting positivity of this plan, the majority who are affected have since piled pressure on them protesting that it is not fair on them.
The Renal Society in Kenya has raised concerns on the same and pleaded with the hospital to rethink their decision again.
“The sudden and arbitrary increment of the consultation fee from Sh650 to Sh1,150 will hurt many of our members to whom KNH is a haven from predatory pricing elsewhere. We beseech the management to rethink the move,” the society said in a statement.
The hospital has however continued to clarify that the plan will make the country a center of excellence in nephrology training and kidney disease s management.