Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache has established that at least 300 patients and 391 bodies are detained by 11 hospitals across the country.
Mochache made the revelations when she appeared before the Health Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday.
She told the committee that the families are expected to pay bills amounting to Sh6.7 billion for both patients and deceased bodies.
The Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) tops the list with 387 uncollected bodies.
The facility wants the patients and kin of the deceased to settle bills amounting to Sh5.69 billion, before the detained are released.
The report also found out that 56 patients are being held at Kakamega County Referral Hospital over Sh3.3 million, Nakuru County Referral Hospital has 15 with an unpaid bill of Sh850,780 , Kimilili medical clinic is yet to receive Sh108,780 from five patients, Thika Level 5 hospital is holding 8 patients over Sh308,922 while Tabaka Mission hospital is detaining 16 over Sh590,764.
The other hospitals on spot are Moi Teaching and Referral which is demanding Sh1 billion from an undisclosed number of patients, North Kinangop Catholic hospital that has detained three patients over Sh66,651 bills and Kagio Nursing Home which is demanding Sh90,000 from a single patient.
She said that the government is considering wavering the bills.
“To address the accumulation of patient bills in hospitals, the ministry communicates to relevant hospitals to waive the bills,” Mochache said, as quoted by Standard.