Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital is seeking the public’s help to trace relatives of several mental health patients who have remained at the facility for extended periods without their families, guardians or other people responsible for their care being identified.
The hospital says the lack of contact with relatives has complicated efforts to plan for the patients’ continued treatment, social support and eventual return to their communities. It has now urged anyone with a genuine connection to the patients to come forward and help reunite them with their families.
Acting chief executive officer Dr Lawrence Nderi said the hospital had identified cases in which patients had remained under its care for a long time without their next of kin or other responsible persons being found.
“It has, however, come to the hospital’s attention that there are patients who have remained under its care for extended periods, without their relatives, guardians, next of kin or other persons responsible for their care having been identified or located,” Nderi said as quoted by the Star.
He explained that the absence of family members or other people connected to the patients had affected efforts to ensure they received the necessary support beyond their medical care. The situation has also placed extra demands on the hospital as it continues to provide for their needs.
“The continued absence of persons responsible for or connected to these patients presents challenges to their social support, continuity of care and eventual reintegration into the community, while also placing additional demands on the hospital’s capacity and resources to provide for their continued care and welfare,” Nderi said.
The facility has not revealed the length of time the patients have spent in hospital or the circumstances that led to their admission. It has also not confirmed whether their relatives abandoned them or whether the families have been unable to locate them or provide the required care.
In a public appeal, Mathari asked parents, guardians, spouses, children, relatives and next of kin, as well as other people who may have a legitimate connection to the patients, to contact or visit the facility.
“The parents, guardians, spouses, children, relatives, next of kin and any other persons who may have a legitimate connection to the persons depicted herein are hereby requested to contact or visit the hospital for purposes of identifying the patients and facilitating their reunification with their families or persons responsible for their care upon providing appropriate proof of identity and relationship or other legitimate connection,” the CEO said in a statement.
The hospital said those seeking to identify the patients must present proof of identity and documents or other evidence showing their relationship or legitimate connection to them.
To support the search, the facility released photographs and details of the patients in the hope that members of the public would recognise them and help the hospital reach their families.
The appeal comes at a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for changes in the way people with mental health conditions receive care, including reducing lengthy stays in psychiatric hospitals and making more support available within local communities.
On October 10, during World Mental Health Day, the WHO urged countries to move away from keeping people in hospitals for long periods and instead provide treatment and support closer to their homes.
The organisation maintains that people living with mental health conditions should not have to surrender their freedom, dignity or place in society to access the care they need.
Its guidance calls for people who have spent six months or more in psychiatric hospitals to be supported in returning to community life. This includes access to health services, housing and social support to help them live outside hospital settings.
In some communities, mental health conditions are still misunderstood and linked to beliefs about curses or witchcraft. Such views can lead to stigma and delays in seeking treatment, making it harder for affected people to receive the support they need.
Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital offers specialised psychiatric treatment, forensic psychiatry, mental health services for children and adolescents, and care for patients referred from other health facilities.
The hospital said it remained committed to offering specialised mental health care while protecting the dignity, privacy, welfare and rights of the patients under its care.