Patients leaving the Coast General Hospital after their bills were waived by the hospital management following Governor Hassan Joho's directive.[Photo: Hassan Joho/ facebook.com]
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho on Friday sent a special Madaraka Day gift to 67 patients who had been discharged but were unable to pay their bills at the Coast General Hospital.
He instructed the hospital management to waive all the charges.In a statement posted on his Facebook page, the Governor confirmed that he had taken the step in the spirit of commemoration of Madaraka Day.While confirming the development, the hospital management said that the 67 patients had a combined bill amounting to over Sh3 million.The hospital further said that majority of the patients who benefited from the move were in the orthopedic department.Whereas the Governor’s move might have been done in the spirit of humanity, many observers stated that the intervention may be politically driven.Joho was cleared by the IEBC to run for a second term as Mombasa Governor on Thursday. His opponents were also cleared to set the stage for the mother of all contests in the region.With over 400,000 votes up for grabs, all the leading contenders for the seat are strategising on how to eclipse their rival.