The County Government of Nakuru has cleared air over the recent media report over alleged detention of infants at Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital.
In a press release on Saturday September 6, 2025, Nakuru County CECM for Health Roslyne Mungai termed the reports in a section of media outlets as misleading.
“Our attention has been drawn to misleading information published by the Standard newspaper claiming that infants have been detained at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital
(NCRTH) due to unpaid medical bills. We wish to correct the misleading information published by the Standard newspaper and clarify that this allegation is entirely false,” stated the CECM
According to her as a regional referral facility, NCRTH handles numerous pediatric surgical cases, with a significant
backlog of children, primarily under five years old, who require specialized surgery.
To address this issue, Ms Mungai said the hospital, in collaboration with the State Department of Health, brought in pediatric surgeons from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Tenwek Hospital, and Kajiado County Referral Hospital.
That together, they conducted a pediatric
surgery camp from September 1 to September 5, 2025.
The Key Outcomes of the Camp were as follows: 112 children successfully underwent surgery, 81 children have already been discharged: 18 on Thursday, 44 on Friday, and 19 on Saturday.
In addition, 31 children remain under care and will be discharged on Sunday and Monday, following the completion of mandatory post-operative observation.
The CECM further clarified that as per Ministry of Health guidelines, every patient undergoing major surgery must remain
under post-operative care and observation for at least 72 hours to ensure a safe recovery, adding that children operated on Monday were discharged on Thursday.
She stated that those who underwent surgery later in the week are scheduled for discharge over the weekend and by Monday.
While some parents may have felt their children were stable enough to leave earlier, the CECM was categorical that these medical guidelines must be strictly followed for patient safety.
“No child has been detained at NCRTH,” she maintained.
According to the CECM, Social Health Authority (SHA) fully covered all medical bills for the camp and that No patient has stayed beyond the recommended 72-hour post-surgery period.
“We urge the public to disregard this misleading report. Instead, let us acknowledge the tremendous effort made by the surgical teams and partners who worked tirelessly to restore these children’s health and dignity.
NCRTH remains committed to providing quality, safe, and compassionate care to all patients from
Nakuru County and beyond.
ROSELYN MUNGAI
COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER
HEALTH SERVICES
N AKURU COUNTY.
Copy to: C ounty Secretary and Head of Public Service Management,
Chief Officer- Medica