Three Machakos County Referral Hospital employees are set to face legal action on Friday for their alleged involvement in stealing public funds.
The trio, consisting of a nurse, a nursing assistant, and a cashier, have not only been fired but also arrested after they reportedly pocketed Ksh. 10,000 from a patient.
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Health Executive Daniel Yumbya addressed the issue, offering warnings to county officials who might consider following in the footsteps of the accused individuals.
“Government money won’t be received by a single person. There will be no theft in the hospitals anymore. We want this to be a lesson for the rest,” he declared.
![Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti at the Machakos Level 5 Hospital. Photo: Wavinya Ndeti. [Photo/Twitter]](https://news.switchtv.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/78e2766ce4bb1a03.webp)
The incident came to light when a vigilant patient paid a KSh 10,800 medical bill, but the accused employees altered the records, indicating that only KSh 100 had been received by the county government.
The difference was detected when the patient was about to be discharged, and alert police officers on patrol intercepted the group.
Dr. Yumbya explained, “After intercepting them, the officers informed hospital management, including the people in charge of ICT, medical services, and infrastructure, as well as the directors in charge of administration and nursing.”
The fired employees, identified as Phelister Luku Muthini, Faith Mumo Itumo, and Janet Kavindu Mugeti, will not only lose their jobs but also face legal consequences for their actions. Dr. Yumbya made it clear that they will serve as a deterrent to anyone contemplating embezzlement in the future.
“To all health workers who have the tendency to steal from the county government, Governor Wavinya Ndeti has declared that there will be no amnesty if you are found culpable of stealing government money,” Yumbya added.
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The Health Executive went on to acknowledge the presence of “cartels” within the county hospitals who have been illegally removing patients without proper payment.
“We reported this to the police and asked that we be given time so that we could nab them,” he revealed, shedding light on the ongoing battle against corruption within the healthcare system.
