Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ordered all national referral hospitals to carry out comprehensive security audits and implement urgent corrective measures. The directive follows the recent systems failure at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), which led to the tragic death of Edward Maingi Ndegwa.
Speaking to journalists at KNH on Monday, Duale condemned the incident as deeply troubling and unacceptable. He offered heartfelt condolences to Ndegwa’s family, acknowledging the pain and frustration the loss had caused.
Duale admitted that the tragedy had exposed serious flaws in hospital systems and pledged swift action to restore public trust in the healthcare sector. He said the government was taking steps to fix critical gaps in safety and accountability across the country’s public health facilities.
“What happened at Kenyatta is unacceptable. That shows a system failure. I must address a humanitarian crisis,” he said.
Duale said the government would enhance security and accountability within hospital premises, starting with expanded CCTV coverage in sensitive areas.
“We are also rolling out a nationwide quality assurance protocol that includes regular patient safety rounds, stronger complaint escalation systems, anonymous feedback tools, and ongoing staff training on patient rights and safety,” the CS aanounced.
To boost transparency and tighten hospital access protocols, Duale also announced the installation of anonymous call monitoring systems, stricter visitor control, and mandatory identity verification for all individuals bringing patients to hospitals, police officers included.
“Effective immediately, all referral hospitals will enforce tighter security measures: a two-visitor limit per patient and mandatory screening at entry points,” Duale said.
“We will ask all persons, including police who bring in sick patients, to leave behind information, including vehicle number plate and ID,” he said. “We aim to have anonymous calls in hospitals for security purposes.”
443 Abandoned Patients
CS Duale at the same time sounded the alarm over a growing crisis in public hospitals: hundreds of patients remain admitted long after discharge due to abandonment or financial hardship.
“Some 443 patients are still in hospitals; some have no family to return to, while others face financial challenges,” Duale revealed. “There are many abandoned patients in our hospitals. We ask Kenyans to step in and help us address these alarming issues.”
To tackle the situation, the Ministry of Health has deployed a rapid response team to trace families and provide support to patients who have nowhere else to go.
“We are working to ensure we have a society that is compassionate enough to accept their kin back,” said Duale. “The 443 abandoned patients will be reconnected to their loved ones.”
The Health Minister urged Kenyans to rally behind the government’s sweeping hospital reforms, calling for patience and public support as the Ministry of Health works to restore trust in the country’s healthcare system.
“We understand that there is low confidence in our hospitals, but we urge you to be patient with us as we restore dignity,” Duale said during a press briefing. “We still commit to protect the life and dignity of all patients.”
Duale assured the public that the reforms, which include enhanced security, improved surveillance, and stricter protocols for admitting patients, will be implemented in all hospitals nationwide.
