In a shocking turn of events, auctioneers forcibly removed patients from their beds and seized medical equipment worth millions during a raid at Seventh Avenue Hospital in Ngoigwa, Thika. The raid, carried out by Kentrack Auctioneers with police support, aimed to recover rent arrears after a court order was issued.
The brutal operation, which took place on Wednesday, left the hospital in disarray. Witnesses described a traumatic scene as auctioneers, accompanied by young men, stormed the hospital and began removing critical items such as beds, medical equipment, and food supplies.
One of the most distressing accounts came from Lydiah Ayuma, whose daughter, physically challenged and undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, was forcibly removed from her bed. “They didn’t care that she was sick or that we are human beings,” Ayuma lamented, describing how her daughter’s wheelchair was taken, leaving her on a small plastic potty.
Another patient tearfully recounted being thrown from her bed onto the floor, with one of the auctioneers laughing as they yanked away her sheets. Nurses were reportedly powerless to intervene as the raid unfolded, leaving patients helpless and distressed.
Dr. Isaac Chesoni Chetambe, Director of Seventh Avenue Hospital, estimated the damages at over KES 1.5 million. He condemned the raid as a violation of patient privacy and rights, saying, “This is a gross infringement on our patients’ dignity and well-being.”
The raid was carried out in response to a court order to recover rent arrears totaling KES 500,000, part of an ongoing dispute between the hospital’s proprietor and the landlord.
