A patient in Kenya is any person who goes to the hospital to seek health care either in out-patient or in-patient basis. Out-patients in Kenya are those who seek consultation or are treated and go back home while in-patients are those who are admitted in the hospital for further management. Bill of right in Kenya is the right of a patient which should be granted when seeking health care in any hospital in Kenya. These rights are meant to protect against infringement.
In Kenya, bill of right for patients is usually written at the reception point in many hospitals in Kenya so that the patient can see them. Other hospital ensure that they are put in every unit within the hospital such as maternity unit, medical and surgical wards including psychiatry, out- patient unit and maternal and child health (MCH) unit. These rights include:
Right to Confidentiality
The patient's information is usually gathered when they come into contact with any health care provider especially when they seek health care services in any hospital set up in Kenya. It is almost a protocol in Kenya that when you seek health care in any hospital even if it is a clinic, you should first be registered at the reception and given a number. This involve gathering of the patient’s bio-data. It is required that the personal information be kept confident and should be displayed anywhere outside the hospital.
Right to Privacy
Once they are registered at the hospital reception, the people who seek the health care should be seen or assessed in rooms where there is privacy so that the patient can have the confidence of giving the necessary information concerning their health problems. The private rooms are also important when performing a medical procedure such as breast examination where a patient will require his/her privacy to be maintained.
Right to Information
It is the responsibility of a health care provider in Kenya to explain to patients seeking health care the type of services offered at that facility and the benefits of those services offered since it is their right to be informed on such services especially those attending Government of Kenya hospitals.
Right to Dignity
All patients or clients attending hospitals seek services, should be treated by health care providers with courtesy, consideration and attention regardless of their status.
Right to Choice
The patients, once they have been given the necessary information on the available services in the hospital, should be left alone to decide freely on the type of the services they want. For instance the patients seeking family planning services in Kenya should be allowed to choose the type of contraceptive they want from the various types of contraceptives which are either pill, implants, injectables or combined oral contraceptives.
Right to Access
All clients who attend hospitals at any given time to seek services should be allowed to obtain services regardless of their sex.
Right to Comfort
Health care providers in all hospitals in Kenya should ensure that patients are comfortable when they are receiving health care services. This also applies when a procedure is performed where the health professional should ensure that the patient is comfortable first, before that the procedure is performed.
Right to Continuity
The patients, who are admitted to the hospital for further management, should have a right to services as long as they are required because they stay in wards for either a short or long time depending on the conditions (disease) they have.
Right to Opinion
The clients who are attending or have visited any hospital in Kenya have the freedom of expression to give their views on the type of services given to them by that particular hospital.
Right to Safety
The patients in Kenya also have the right to access safe and efficient services in any Government of Kenya hospital and it is the responsibility of the care providers to ensure that patients are given safe services and safe surgical procedures are performed to avoid complications.
It the responsibility of patients to report any health care provider in Kenya who mistreats them when seeking health services in any Governmental hospital in Kenya.