The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) has refuted reports that it is withholding a body from its mortuary due to pending medical bills for another hospital.
This is following a plea by an 80-year-old man from Merewet village in Uasin Gishu county, Mzee Kiptoo Boiwo, who last week called for well-wishers to help him pay Sh2.8 million medical bill at the Mediheal Hospital so as to allow his grandson removed from the MTRH mortuary for burial.
Mzee Boiwo had told the press the body could not leave the mortuary as Mediheal Hospital management are first demanding that the pending bill is cleared.
The body has been lying at the MTRH mortuary for the past two weeks.
However in response, MTRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wilson Aruasa sai they do not hold a body on grounds of a pending medical bill.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Friday, Dr. Aruasa said the family was free to collect the body of their loved one whenever they are ready.
"MTRH Farewell home does not hold bodies of deceased persons on account of pending bills. In this particular case, the bill to be cleared is that of another Hospital but the family is free to come and collect the body when they are ready," read part of the statement.
"Pending bill in the other facility cannot deny the family access to the body at the MTRH farewell home," added the statement by the MTRH boss.
Mzee Boiyo lost two grandsons and a neighbors son who were involved in a road accident on their way to a traditional ceremony.
The first grandson and the neighbor died on the spot while the other one died while receiving treatment at the Mediheal Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for several weeks that led to the Sh2.8 million medical bill.