Kisii residents have been urged to apply for National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cards.
Kisii Level Five hospital medical officer Francis Barani said over 78 per cent of patients accessing medical services in the institution are unemployed and were at times unable to meet their medical bill.
“NHIF helps you to raise hospital bills for you and your family,” said Barani,
He argued that the Fund would help defray some of the bills and also prevent the hospital from incurring losses due to patients’ inability to pay for their medical expenses.
Barani noted that on average, the hospital was forced to detain close to 200 patients per month due to their inability to meet their medical expenses.
“The fact that they are unemployed makes it very difficult for them to pay and it becomes a challenge for us as a hospital because we are also expected to procure drugs and other consumables so it also becomes difficult for us to provide proper medical care,” he said.
He however added that the hospital was at times forced to discharge patients on humanitarian grounds expecting them to come back and clear their dues, which was not always the case.