Nairobi County Women Representative Esther Passaris wants Kenyatta National Hospital to release all bodies detained at the mortuary over non-payment.
This comes after six lawyers among them, Anita Masaki, Baston Haggal, Shadrack Wambui, Danstan Omari Dorcas Mwae and Alex Mola filed an injunction in court seeking the release of a body held for outstanding Sh750, 000 on Friday.
The six lawyers told the High Court that the body of Muchoki Mwangi continues to lie at the hospital for months despite his family’s effort to foot the mortuary bill which they have not been able to clear.
This, said the lawyers, has pushed Mwangi’s family to the deep end as they continue to be charged by KNH every day the body lies at the morgue.
Passaris in a tweet on Monday said it is absurd for families to fall into debt over a burial.“Good to see efforts to compel @KNH_hospital to #ReleaseDeadBodies. Many families facing these exorbitant bills can barely afford a living. Going into debt to bury a loved is absurd and yet, many poor families are faced with this reality everyday. #ReleaseDetainedPatients,” read her tweet.
The women rep in a string of tweets added that detention of dead bodies is discriminatory and it should not be allowed.