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The Eid ul-Fitr celebrations have come as a blessing for more than 80 patients in public hospitals across Mombasa County after their medical bills were cleared.

The majority of the patients were stranded at the hospitals because of their inability to pay the bills. The bills were however, cleared by Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and friends.

Nassir said the gesture was an Eid al-Fitr gift.

“After doing our calculations, we got several well-wishers and friends to come on board and pay for the medical bills of those who have been discharged at all our public hospitals but had been detained because of not completing the bills,” Nassir said in his office on Wednesday.

The patients were at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, the Likoni hospital, Tudor Subcounty Hospital, Mrima hospital and Port Reitz hospital.

“All (detained) patients must be released to go home and enjoy Eid with their families,” the governor said.

The Eid gift applies from Wednesday to Friday.

He said the idea came after a donor approached him and offered to pay for patients who may have been unable to pay their medical bills.

More donors came on board after the idea was approved as a good charity course.

These include the Shariff Nassir Foundation and the county government’s Finance department.

Most of the donors did not want to be mentioned, he said.

The Serikali Mitaani and the Health departments of the county government will be in charge of identifying those who will benefit from this Eid gift.

“When I say all patients, I mean all. It doesn’t matter whether they are Muslim or Christian,” Nassir said.

He, however, said this does not affect the Under-Five program, where children below five years of age are treated free of charge at the public hospitals.

The county has been running this program for the last three years.

Launched in May 2023, the programme was designed to reduce the financial strain and provide accessible care.

It provides free treatment at all public health facilities, including both inpatient and outpatient services.

It has seen a 50 per cent increase in patients who now enjoy services at public health facilities.

Nassir said the idea is to reduce the high child mortality rates, saying some parents were not taking their children to hospital for lack of finances.