The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) management is investigating claims its staff have been soliciting bribes from patients.

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This follows a recent exposé by a local television which revealed that the staff, including doctors, have been soliciting for as little as Sh50 to render their services.

Hospital CEO Peter Okoth on Tuesday said that a probe has been launched into the same, in a bid to deal with the crime should it be found to be in existence.

He noted that the hospital is yet to establish if the claims are true, considering that medical services are normally rendered privately, calling for the help of members of the public.

"Medics attend to patients privately and it is hard to monitor how they interact with the sick. It is the patients or their relatives who can expose those who ask for bribes," he said.

He also blamed the same on the crowding of patients at the facility which serves an average of 1,800 people a day, proposing that locals begin with dispensaries in their areas.

Okoth said that the situation forces some patients in a hurry to jump the line while medics are forced to work for extra hours, which he said might also be a contributing reason.

“The huge number of patients leads to long waiting time. The medic will attend to many patients than it is recommended, and will be tempted to take bribes from those in a hurry and want to jump the queue," he added.